House unveils draft healthcare plan

WASHINGTON, June 19 (UPI) -- House Democrats Friday released their version of U.S. healthcare reform, which includes creation of a public insurance plan to compete with private insurers.

Three House committee chairmen -- George Miller, California, of Education and Labor; Henry Waxman, California, of Energy and Commerce; and Charles Rangel, New York, of Ways and Means -- said they didn't know a price tag, even though they pledge to pay for it by reducing Medicare spending and imposing new-but-unspecified taxes.

"The discussion draft builds on what works in today's healthcare system and fixes the parts that are

broken," the summary said. "It protects current coverage -- allowing individuals to keep the insurance they have if they like it -- and preserves choice of doctors, hospitals, and health plan."

The plan would create the Health Insurance Exchange, a program President Barack Obama called a "one-stop shop" for health insurance. If people like their current plan, they can keep it; if they need insurance or are dissatisfied, they can use the exchange. Included is a public option -- which supporters say would create competition and keep rates affordable, but which opponents say is the first step to government-run healthcare.

To help ensure affordability, the Democrats say their plan would provide a sliding scale of affordability credits, which would "not only make insurance premiums affordable, (but) also reduce cost-sharing to levels that ensure access to care."

The draft includes provisions for preventive medicine and wellness programs and expands the healthcare workforce.

"This proposal would improve the affordability, availability, and quality of health care and represents a major step toward the our goal of fixing what is broken about health care while building on what works," Obama said in a statement.