Conservatives address health care

WASHINGTON — A group of conservative Republican senators put forth a plan Thursday that seeks to ensure every American has health insurance, a cause long championed by the political left.

The bill encourages families to find their own health coverage and offers tax credits of up to $5,400 per family. But advocates for the uninsured say the proposal could jeopardize low-income families and chronically ill patients, as well as the employment-based health-care system, which now covers 65 percent of Americans.

"It's time for a major debate on health-care insurance," Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., said in a statement. "Not enough people have access to affordable health care, and the Congress has not done enough about this crisis."

Martinez was joined in introducing the bill by fellow Republican Sens. Richard Burr of North Carolina, Tom Coburn of Oklahoma and Bob Corker of Tennessee.

The bill could bring health coverage to millions of Americans. But Burr said it also would begin taxing the value of health-care plans that many employers now offer workers, a controversial provision sure to face opposition. Such benefits are now tax-free, both for the employer and the worker.

"Our aim is to remove inequities in our tax laws and make tax relief for health insurance available to everyone," Martinez said.

The legislation would offer special tax credits to help cover the cost of health insurance and other health bills: $2,160 per person, up to a maximum of $5,400 per family.

The legislation, called the Every American Insured Health Act, comes amid debate this week in the House and Senate over the renewal of a states-run children's health insurance program, which Democrats want to expand to cover more children.

Polls show health care as one of the top concerns of voters.

But Kathleen Stoll, director of health policy for Families USA, an advocacy group in Washington, said the idea behind the new legislation isn't terribly new. Republicans have long been working to dismantle the employment-based health system that most Americans now use, she said.

"When we eliminate that tax break for [the system], we should do that with extreme caution," Stoll said.

Advocates for the uninsured fear that employers could drop health benefits altogether. And for many families, $5,400 won't buy a lot of health insurance.