III 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. CON. RES. 30 

To express the sense of Congress concerning the provision of health insurance 

coverage to all Americans. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 28, 2005 

Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Mr. REID, Ms. STABENOW, Mr. SCHUMER, Mr. 

FEINGOLD, Mr. LIEBERMAN, Mrs. LINCOLN, Mr. BINGAMAN, Mr. DAYTON, Mrs. MURRAY, Mrs. CLINTON, Mr. CORZINE, and Mr. KENNEDY) 

submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

To express the sense of Congress concerning the provision 

of health insurance coverage to all Americans. 

Whereas the United States is the only major industrialized 

country that does not have universal access to health insurance among its citizens; 

Whereas the number of Americans without health insurance 

has increased steadily over the past decade from 

37,000,000 to 45,000,000; 

Whereas 7 in 10 people without health insurance live in families where at least one person works full-time; 

Whereas 20 percent of uninsured Americans are children; 
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•SCON 30 IS

Whereas members of racial and ethnic minority groups at all 

income levels are more likely to be uninsured than their 

White counterparts; 

Whereas the percentage of private-sector employers offering 

health benefits to retirees has declined by more than 40 

percent since 1997 to just 13 percent in 2002; 

Whereas in 2003, 1,700,000 veterans and 3,900,000 dependents of veterans did not have access to health insurance 

or veterans medical care; 

Whereas uninsured Americans receive less preventive care 

and are diagnosed at a more advanced stage of disease 

than Americans with health insurance; 

Whereas uninsured adults have mortality rates approximately 

25 percent higher than those of privately insured adults; 

Whereas the financial consequences of uninsurance can be 

disastrous for families, as demonstrated by a recent 

study that found medical problems were a factor in nearly half of all personal bankruptcy filings; 

Whereas the increase in average health insurance costs since 

2000 was five times the increase in average worker 

wages; 

Whereas the total cost of job-based health insurance has 

risen 72 percent in the past 5 years; 

Whereas employers are struggling to keep up with rising 

health insurance costs; 

Whereas a recent study by the Commonwealth Fund concluded that small employers that provide health insurance 

to their employees pay more but receive less for their 

money while suffering faster increases in premiums and 

steeper jumps in deductibles than large firms; 
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Whereas the market for individual insurance policies can be 

prohibitively expensive and allows for discrimination 

based on health status; 

Whereas rising health insurance costs undermine United 

States competitiveness in the global market; 

Whereas despite spending the most per capita on health care 

($4,887 compared to Germany which is the next highest 

at $2,808), the United States ranks 12th out of 13 industrialized nations in 16 top health indicators such as 

infant mortality; and 

Whereas members of Congress and their families have the opportunity to select among many benefit choices and to 

purchase high quality, group health insurance coverage at 

reasonable rates: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 

2 concurring), That— 

3 (1) Congress should enact legislation that will 

4 ensure that all Americans have access to affordable, 

5 quality health insurance coverage by 2010, regard6 less of income, age, employment or health status; 

7 (2) such legislation should utilize private and 

8 public sector solutions; 

9 (3) rather than shifting greater costs to con10 sumers, such legislation should constrain underlying 

11 health care costs, including by assuring appropriate 

12 utilization, and lowering prescription drug costs and 

13 administrative expenses; and 
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1 (4) such legislation should assure high quality 

2 health care by promoting the utilization of informa3 tion technology, reducing medical errors, providing 

4 for care coordination, and through other methods 

5 designed to improve quality. 

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