Clinton Warns Insurance Firms on Impeding Health Care Access

President Clinton took steps Tuesday to correct problems with a new law that was supposed to have guaranteed health insurance for millions of Americans when they change jobs.

The law was designed “to give people peace of mind,” Clinton said, but it is being undermined by insurance companies’ tactics. “These practices have to be stopped.”

At a joint appearance with Democrats on Capitol Hill, Clinton instructed Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala to examine ways to strengthen the measure. He also said the government will send warnings to every insurance company that the law makes it illegal to impede access to health care.

Government investigators reported last week that insurance companies have been charging 140% to 600% of the standard premiums for people who try to use the law to convert their group policies to individual coverage.

The president also promoted his plan to allow people ages 55 through 64 to buy early Medicare coverage by paying a premium. Clinton said his proposal would help 300,000 to 400,000 people and joked that he could be one of them.

“In 2001, I will be 55 and unemployed through no fault of my own,” he said. “This bill has a lot of appeal to me. Medicare is one of the crowning achievements of this century. We can make sure that as we become an older and older and older country . . . Medicare will be one of the crowning achievements of the 21st century as well.”

The proposal has met resistance from Republicans in Congress.

“We first need to fix the current shortfalls in Medicare and Social Security before we consider the president’s proposal to increase government spending and expand yet another government program,” said Rep. William M. Thomas (R-Bakersfield), chairman of the House Ways and Means subcommittee on health.