Sen. John Breaux (D-La.) on Jan. 23 will introduce a proposal that would achieve universal health care coverage by requiring all Americans to obtain private health insurance, USA Today reports. States would establish purchasing pools to ensure that people without employer-sponsored coverage could buy insurance at group rates (Welch, USA Today, 1/23). In addition, tax credits would be offered to help low- and middle-income U.S. residents purchase insurance (AP/Orlando Sentinel, 1/23). Federal subsidies would be available for the poor (USA Today, 1/23). The federal government would also establish individual health accounts for the poor, which could be used for physician copayments, premiums or other health expenses (AP/Orlando Sentinel, 1/23). Medicare would continue to provide care for people age 65 and older (USA Today, 1/23). Medicaid would continue in its current form for seniors, people with disabilities and long-term care patients, but low-income Medicaid beneficiaries would be covered under the new system (Breaux, Wall Street Journal, 1/23). Insurers would be barred from denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions (AP/Orlando Sentinel, 1/23). A prescription drug benefit would be a part of all the policies. Breaux has not said how much the proposal would cost (USA Today, 1/23).

'New Social Contract'
The plan offered by Breaux, a moderate Democrat, is "an attempt to bridge ideological and partisan differences that have blocked health insurance reform" since former President Clinton's failed attempt in the early 1990s, according to USA Today (USA Today, 1/23). "The time has come to rethink our health care system," Breaux writes in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece today. He continues, "Any new system must have at its core a new social contract that requires government and individuals to share equal responsibility for universal coverage," adding, "The solution is not a government-run system or a fend-for-yourself marketplace but, instead, a new approach that combines the best care options offered by the private sector backed by the resources and oversight of federal and state governments" (Wall Street Journal, 1/23). While the plan may not "provide a breakthrough" in this Congress, Breaux "hopes to push the issue to the top of the debate" for the 2004 presidential race and make universal health care, rather than a Medicare prescription drug benefit, the focal point of health policy debates, USA Today reports (USA Today, 1/23). Breaux will unveil the proposal in speeches at the National Health Policy Conference and before the U.S. Conference of Mayors (Orlando Sentinel, 1/22). A webcast of the speeches from policy conference will be on kaisernetwork.org Friday afternoon.