
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, June 24, 1993                   TAG: 9306240163
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Knight-Ridder/Tribune
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Medium

HEALTH PLAN PUT ON HOLD SEPTEMBER ROLLOUT LOOKS MORE LIKELY

Lawmakers who met Wednesday morning with Hillary Rodham Clinton said the administration's health-care reform plan won't be unveiled until September, a tactical delay that means Congress is unlikely to pass a bill this year.

Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash., said Hillary Clinton told the group in a closed-door meeting that final decisions on the package would be made in late July, drafting of a bill would proceed through August, and President Clinton would outline the proposal after Labor Day.

"They're ready to go in September," McDermott said.

If that's when the plan is announced, it could easily take Congress the rest of the year just to hold hearings. Restructuring the $940 billion health-care system involves many complex issues, and several House and Senate committees would share jurisdiction. Votes would not be likely until well into 1994.

Hillary Clinton invited McDermott and other legislators to the White House to hear their views and seek their support. McDermott is one of the leaders of a powerful congressional bloc that supports a "single-payer" health-care system like Canada's.

The lawmakers said Clinton doubted that a single-payer plan could pass in Congress, but she stressed that the administration's proposal would meet many of the same goals, such as guaranteeing coverage for all and eliminating wasteful paperwork.

White House officials would not comment on when the health-care plan will be released, saying only that the president will wait until after his $500 billion deficit-reduction plan clears Congress.

Independent analysts said a September announcement could actually improve prospects for reform if the administration uses the time to build support for its approach.

Administration officials say their plan is virtually complete. Based on a model called managed competition, it would reorganize the health-care system to hold down costs while keeping medical care in private hands.

The plan calls for setting up health insurance purchasing co-ops to negotiate for quality, low-cost care on behalf of consumers. It would require employers to provide coverage for their workers.

by CNB