Bush seeks tax code changes for healthcare

WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 (UPI) -- Basic private health insurance should be more affordable for workers not insured through their employers, U.S. President George Bush said Monday.

Bush called on Congress in his seventh State of the Union address to eliminate provisions in the tax code detrimental to employees who do not get their health insurance from their employer. He proposed a standard deduction for every American who buys health insurance, whether they get it through their jobs or on their own.

The changes would make basic private health coverage affordable and give patients more healthcare choices, he said.

Bush also said he supported allowing health insurance being purchased across state lines, instead of limiting consumers to policies available in their state of residence.

In the controversial arena of stem cell research, Bush asked Congress to pass legislation that would ban unethical practices such as the buying, selling, patenting, or cloning of human life.