Clinton State Of The Union Message: Incremental Changes

Incremental changes to US health care, rather than sweeping reforms,were proposed by President Bill Clinton in his State of the Union message earlier this month. He said his balanced budget would extend insurance to half the 10 million children who do not have health insurance. Administration officials were not able to put a price tag on the move, but it is expected to cost many billions of dollars.

Because almost half the children who lose insurance do so because a parent has lost or changed a job, the budget would also ensure that those who are temporarily out of work can afford to keep their health insurance.

The Medicare plan Pres Clinton is proposing will modernize the system, increase the life of the trust fund by 10 years, provide support for respite care for family members with Alzheimer's and would fully pay for annual mammograms. He also asked Congress for its support of bipartisan legislation to guarantee that women can stay in the hospital for 48 hours after mastectomy.