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 Home > News & Policies > Policies in Focus
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Healthcare

President George W. Bush greets the audience after participating in a conversation on health care and community health centers at Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio, Tuesday May 25, 2004. White House photo by Paul Morse. President George W. Bush greets the audience after participating in a conversation on health care and community health centers at Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio, Tuesday May 25, 2004.

Making Health Care Coverage More Affordable

President Bush understands that rising costs can put health care coverage out of reach for many Americans. Health care costs are rising at the fastest rate in nearly a decade, imposing a burden on families and businesses. That is why the President’s health care policies:

  • Reduce the rise in health care costs for all Americans through measures such as limiting frivolous medical liability lawsuits and modernizing health care IT;
  • New health insurance deductions will make coverage more affordable to millions of Americans whose employers don't provide health benefits. The President's proposal will allow individuals who establish HSAs to deduct the premiums they pay for their low-premium, high-deductible health insurance policies. This new deduction will be available to taxpayers whether or not they itemize. It will reduce the net cost of these policies and encourage the use of HSAs for saving for health care needs and making wise, cost-effective health care choices.
  • Create new and more affordable coverage options – targeted to those who need help the most: low-income children and families; employees of small businesses; and the self-employed; and
  • Give patients and doctors – not government bureaucrats – more control over health care decisions. The President’s plan uses consumer-driven health care and competition in the private marketplace to lower costs – not a federal government take-over of health care which will increase costs and pass them on to the taxpayers.
The President's Agenda to Reduce Costs and Help More Americans Afford High-Quality Health Care:
  • New tax-free Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) to help more Americans gain affordable coverage . The President signed legislation creating HSAs, which will help individuals and businesses save a substantial amount on health insurance premiums and gain more control over their health care spending. Americans who set up HSAs along with the purchase of a low-cost, high-deductible health care plan can use tax-free money to pay for routine medical expenses, while gaining protection against major medical expenses. The President's proposal also allows individuals who establish HSAs to deduct the premiums they pay for their high-deductible policies, thus reducing the net cost of those policies. New data suggests that 30-40% of individuals enrolling in HSAs were previously uninsured.
  • Refundable tax credits to help low-income Americans buy health insurance. The President has proposed refundable tax credits of up to $3,000 for families and $1,000 for individuals to help low-income workers buy health insurance coverage. If approved by Congress, this proposal would provide coverage for an estimated 4-5 million Americans.
  • Association Health Plans (AHPs) to help small businesses provide coverage for their workers . Small businesses often cannot afford employee health benefits. The President has supported allowing small businesses to band together and negotiate lower health care premiums for their workers and families – just like bigger businesses and unions do. This will give America 's working families greater access to health insurance.
  • Millions of low-income Americans made eligible for coverage. Since January 2001, the Department of Health and Human Services has granted state waivers and approved state plan amendments that, when fully implemented, will help states extend coverage to an estimated 2.6 million low-income Americans eligible under Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).
  • Greater access to health care for the most vulnerable through Community Health Centers. The President proposed a five-year plan to fund 1,200 new and expanded health center sites to serve an additional 6.1 million people by 2006. Today, he is well on the way to meeting that goal, with more than 600 new or expanded health centers delivering care to 3 million additional Americans, including many uninsured and low-income children and families in medically underserved communities.
  • Medical liability reform to help rein in unnecessary health care costs. Too many lawsuits without merit are being filed against doctors and hospitals, forcing them to practice defensive medicine, driving good doctors out of practice, and driving up health care costs for everyone. The President believes people who have a legitimate claim must have their day in court. But to make health care more affordable and accessible to everyone, we must reduce the number of frivolous lawsuits and limit excessive jury awards. No patient has ever been healed by a frivolous lawsuit.
  • Health IT initiative to reduce errors, cut waste, and lower costs. The President launched an initiative to make electronic medical records universally available for Americans in the next ten years. To improve quality of care, reduce medical errors, and reduce costs, the President's plan includes establishing a high-level office to coordinate government and private sector activities on health IT, adopting uniform standards to allow medical information to be shared and stored electronically. His plan also doubles the funding to support communities and States that are adopting health IT systems to improve the delivery of health care.
Speeches and News Releases
September 30, 2004
Kristen Silverberg on Ask the White House
 
August 11, 2004
Expanding Access and Increasing the Affordability of Health Insurance Through Health Savings Accounts
 
August 11, 2004
Medicare Drug Discount Cards Help Seniors Save
 
July 21, 2004
President Bush Signs Project Bioshield Act of 2004
 
May 25, 2004
Expanding Access to Health Care for Millions of Americans
 
April 30, 2004
Medicare Prescription Drug Discount Card Discussed on "Ask the WH"
 
April 27, 2004
President Bush Touts Benefits of Health Care Information Technology
 
March 16, 2004
President Delivers Remarks on Health Access
 
February 4, 2004
Health Care Questions Answered on "Ask the White House"
 
January 28, 2004
President Bush Discusses Quality, Affordable Health Care
 
January 28, 2004
President's Health Care Agenda Fact Sheet
 
January 20, 2004
Health Care Excerpts from State of the Union
 
December 8, 2003
President Signs Medicare Legislation
 
More News »
Documents
  The President's Proposals for Health Security in the World's Best Health Care System

  May 25, 2004
Expanding Access to Health Care for Millions of Americans


  March 16, 2004
Affordable Health Care for America's Families


  January 28, 2004
The President's Health Care Agenda
Related Links
  U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
  Department of Homeland Security
  Mother and Child HIV Prevention Initiative
  Combating the International HIV/AIDS Pandemic
  Key Health Nominations
  Fitness


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