Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.) on Tuesday announced a bill that would provide health insurance for all U.S. residents through contributions from employers, states and individuals, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The AmeriCare Health Care Act would establish a program that uses the low-cost Medicare administrative structure, as well as discounts obtained as a result of the large number of participants, to maintain lower premiums, Stark said. Under the legislation, employers would have to provide health insurance for all full-time and part-time employees, and states would help fund coverage for low-income residents. In addition, the bill, which would not establish a "single payer," would allow program participants to retain their current health insurance and continue to visit their current physicians. The legislation would cost the federal government an estimated $50 billion to $60 billion annually for the first several years. However, supporters "estimate that over time, savings would kick in," in part through a reduction in the number of uninsured residents, who often do not seek health care until their conditions become more serious and expensive to treat, the Chronicle reports. AFL-CIO and Consumers Union have endorsed the bill. Stark said, "The question is whether society will provide coverage for everyone or for just a wealthy few," adding, "Everyone should benefit from this bill, with the exception of the bankruptcy bar and collection agencies" (Epstein, San Francisco Chronicle, 7/26). Rep. Jan Shakowsky (D-Ill.) said, "AmeriCare is more than a solution for the uninsured, it is a solution for the underinsured."

Second Bill
In related news, a bipartisan group of lawmakers led by Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) on Tuesday introduced a bill (HR 5864) that would help states develop programs to provide insurance to uninsured residents. The Healthcare through Creative Federalism Act -- co-sponsored by Reps. Bob Beauprez (R-Colo.), Tom Price (R-Ga.) and John Tierney (D-Mass.) -- would establish a grant process to encourage states to develop such programs. The legislation, which would have to remain budget neutral over five years of authorization, would establish a committee operated under HHS that would include federal and state appointees to administer the grant process (Abruzzese, CQ HealthBeat, 7/25).