Senators Offer Conservative-Focused Health Insurance Plan
By Staff
Congress Daily
March 21, 2007
Sens. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., and Richard Burr, R-N.C., unveiled a sweeping healthcare bill today that is designed to encourage enrollment in private individual health insurance plans. A Coburn aide said the lawmakers want to lay down a conservative marker that focuses on moving the nation's healthcare system away from its current reliance on employer-provided group insurance. At its centerpiece, the proposal would redirect the tax breaks given to employers for providing health insurance to individual consumers. The bill would create a $2,000 "Medi-Choice" tax rebate for individuals ($5,000 for families) to purchase their own health insurance. Any leftover funds from the rebate could be placed in a tax-free health savings account. Employers would be permitted to subsidize portable individual or group insurance for employees. The measure also includes restrictions on medical malpractice lawsuits and a charter to create private, nonprofit health record bank accounts, similar to credit unions, that would store patients' medical information. Individuals would receive a card, similar to ATM cards, that would contain their entire medical histories and insurance information.
