WASHINGTON : Powerful Congressional Panels Are Zeroing In on U.S. Health-Care Issues

Some of the most powerful committees in Congress will be seeking a cure for the nation’s health-care problem during the session, with a spate of hearings and studies that they promise will result in new legislation.

For millions of Americans, the health-care dilemma is as basic as access and high cost. The numbers speak for themselves: 37 million Americans are uninsured; 60 million have inadequate insurance.

“We have a competitive health-care system today, in which the best of health care and the worst of health care are competing side by side--and the worst is winning,” Chairman Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) said at a recent hearing before the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee.

“Our health-care system is the most expensive and inefficient in the world,” said Sen. Donald W. Riegle (D-Mich.), chairman of the subcommittee on health for families and the uninsured, which was created last year to study the problem and solve it.

Spending on health care is approaching 12% of the gross national product, far exceeding that of any nation in the world. “High health-care costs have made American businesses uncompetitive in the world marketplace, have forced families to absorb higher out-of-pocket costs and have led many to question whether we are getting appropriate value for our investment,” Riegle said.

Sens. Kennedy, Riegle, John H. Chafee (R-R.I.) and Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah) are part of a bipartisan group working on the issue. Kennedy’s Labor and Human Resources Committee and Riegle’s subcommittee have held several hearings to examine both access and cost. Kennedy’s concerns also include long-term care for the elderly and those with disabilities.

Only Riegle’s staff is ready yet to discuss specific solutions. The subcommittee is considering legislation using a public/private partnership, combined with cost controls and incentives, to encourage employers not yet providing health insurance to do so. Secondly, legislation would also expand the current public program to cover the uninsured, not just low-income persons. And third, it would take on cost effectiveness by examining medical liability and how to reform small group rates by spreading risk better.

In addition, Sen. Lloyd Bentsen (D-Tex.), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, announced that his committee will hold two hearings to study public- and private-sector strategies. And while he hasn’t set dates, Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, also promises hearings.

Senators Resurrect Family Leave Proposal

Last year’s Family Leave Act has been reborn, with Sens. Kennedy and Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.) as its primary sponsors.

“Family and medical leave is a matter of simple workplace justice,” Kennedy said on the Senate floor. “No workers in America should have to choose between the job they need and the child they love. No American should lose their job because they must care for an elderly parent.”

The bill is virtually identical to last year’s, which passed both the Senate and the House but was vetoed by President Bush after heavy lobbying by business. The bill would provide up to 12 weeks of parental leave over a one-year period for the birth, adoption or serious illness of a child or dependent parent. It would apply within six months of enactment to businesses with 50 or more employees. An employee would have to have worked for a year and at least 1,000 hours to be eligible.

Family- and medical-leave legislation is “a humanitarian approach to changing family structures,” Kennedy said. “And it makes sound economic sense. When workers lose their jobs for lack of family leave, we pay the bill for unemployment compensation, food stamps, Medicaid and other social costs.”

Interestingly, Bush’s newest Cabinet member, Labor Secretary-designate Lynn Martin, voted last year to override the President’s veto of the Family and Medical Leave bill. At the recent Senate confirmation hearing, Sen. Dodd noted Martin’s support for the bill when she was a member of Congress last year and said he hopes that she will continue her support. Martin deftly dodged the issue, saying that such matters were best discussed “between the President and his Cabinet member, not in a public forum.”

Helping Small Firms Tap U.S. Research

The National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Small Business Administration have received funding of $1.2 million to create a five-state, five-year pilot for the new Technology Access Program, approved by Congress last year.

Sometime this spring, the SBA will ask for proposals from states that want to participate. Five states will be chosen and will have to match the federal funds. The program will be evaluated later by the General Accounting Office.

The theory behind the Technology Access Program is simple: A user-friendly database could be the bridge between the federal experts doing research in national labs, and industry, where such research could be used to increase the productivity and competitiveness. Each state will be expected to set up a method for businesses to tap into the program, perhaps at small-business development centers.

The federal government funds 50% of all research and development in the country, and often the benefits of R&D; never reach the public sector.

New Drive for More Fuel-Efficient Autos

As expected, Sens. Richard Bryan (D-Nev.) and Slade Gorton (R-Wash.) renewed their efforts to improve automobile efficiency by introducing a Corporate Average Fuel Economy bill.

“Before the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, we imported 730,000 barrels of oil per day from Iraq and Kuwait combined,” said Bryan. “When this bill is fully implemented, we will save four times that amount of oil. In the first six years alone, we will save more than 48 billion gallons of gasoline. This kind of conservation means less dependence on foreign oil, an improved trade deficit and a better environment.”

The legislation has attracted bipartisan support and an additional 28 co-sponsors.

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