Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, January 23, 1994 TAG: 9401230057
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RICK LINDQUIST STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
Boucher also credited the debate with already helping to cut health-care costs. Those costs, he said, had been rising at 12 percent per year for five years until the last half of 1993, when the increase dropped to 6 percent.
"That has led some to suggest that we in Congress just keep talking about health-care reform," he said, to some applause.
Many questioners worried about how much it will cost them once Congress makes up its mind. Others suggested the government and the Clinton administration stay out of health care altogether.
"There is no proposal to nationalize health care," Boucher assured them.
Other audience members called for educational and disease-prevention components in any final reform package.
One man, who described himself as a "health-care provider," said things are working themselves out already, without government intervention.
"The health-care industry, even without Clinton, is reforming itself in leaps and bounds" to reduce costs, he told Boucher.
One woman was more direct. "I can't stress enough how much I don't want to see the federal government get involved with this," she said.
Boucher outlined President Clinton's proposal for universal health coverage; a "Clinton Lite" plan put forth by Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Tenn., and co-sponsored by 5th District Congressman L.F. Payne; and the so-called "single payer" plan, which he said is similar to Canada's health-insurance system. He said the House Energy and Commerce Committee, on which he sits, will begin hearing those plans and others in about two weeks.
"These plans would reform the way we pay health insurance," he told the gathering.
While he has not come out in favor of any particular plan, Boucher did express reservations about the president's proposal to pay for universal health insurance through a 75-cent-per-pack excise tax on cigarettes.
Boucher defended himself after a questioner referred to tobacco as "your favorite company." He said he worries about the effect of such a tax on thousands of Burley tobacco farmers in the 9th District.
He suggested alcoholic beverages could be taxed the same way, but added that he disagrees with special taxes for general government purposes.
Boucher also echoed concerns expressed by some in the audience that, under Clinton's proposed "global budgeting" mechanism, the health-insurance fund could run out of money before a year ended, leading to rationing of health care.
by CNB