Government
Senators propose bill to fund state health reforms
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted May 14, 2007
Sens. Russ Feingold (D, Wis.) and Lindsey Graham (R, S.C.) introduced the State-Based Health Care Reform Act late last month. It would provide $40 billion in federal funding for states to develop and implement health coverage expansions.
The pilot program would last five years and would create a task force to approve and review progress of the state proposals. The task force would then recommend reforms to Congress based on the results of state programs.
"It's time for the federal government to unleash a competition of ideas over how to solve the problem [of the uninsured]," Graham said.
Feingold and Graham worked with representatives of the Heritage Foundation and Brookings Institution -- Washington, D.C., think tanks -- in drafting the bill.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2007/05/14/gvbf0514.htm.












