•HCON 100 IH 
Whereas States want affordable health care that will provide 
meaningful coverage to their residents, and urge the Fed-
eral Government to lead a Federal-State partnership to 
reach that goal; 
Whereas State governments possess an ability to respond to 
and predict the health care needs of their residents with-
in the context of a Federal-State partnership; 
Whereas States have the unique flexibility have to meet vary-
ing social, political, economic, demographic, and market 
conditions in the various States; 
Whereas States, in the absence of national action, have taken 
the lead in health care reform, implementing new initia-
tives, passing legislation, and debating ambitious reform 
proposals; 
Whereas several States have already enacted comprehensive 
health care reform initiatives, and many more States are 
moving towards additional types of health care reform; 
Whereas at least 1 State has been successful at significantly 
lowering its uninsurance rate through State-level reforms; 
Whereas many more States have undertaken incremental ef-
forts that can provide important lessons for other States 
and for national policy across a broad range of issue 
areas, including payment reform, quality improvement, 
disease management, long-term care, cost containment, 
and coverage expansion; 
Whereas, even with national action, States can continue to 
play a critical role to supplement Federal action, ensur-
ing consumer protections and expanding available serv-
ices; 
Whereas Federal support and encouragement of States’ ini-
tiatives is key to making health care accessible to all; 
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•HCON 100 IH 
Whereas the national health care system can incorporate and 
apply lessons learned from successful State-level experi-
ments, both to improve national strategies enacted by 
Congress and to help prepare the way for future stages 
of reform; 
Whereas States should work in partnership with the Federal 
Government to achieve clear national goals and objectives 
for improving our health care system; 
Whereas States may have the ability to achieve national goals 
and objectives more quickly and effectively if permitted 
the flexibility when implementing aspects of national re-
form; 
Whereas States that object to segments of a proposed na-
tional reform effort may come to support that reform if 
they are permitted to make modifications, while commit-
ting to achieving objectives of reform; and 
Whereas there is strong bipartisan support for an approach 
to health reform that incorporates the principles of Cre-
ative Federalism: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That the Congress commits to include, within 
legislation authorizing national health care reform, provi-
sions that facilitate State innovation and that— 
(1) promote the unique role of States as 
innovators in health care reform, recognizing their 
distinct competencies; 
(2) feature flexibility for States in implementing 
national goals and objectives for health care reform, 
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•HCON 100 IH 
taking into consideration varying political, economic, 
and market conditions; 
(3) facilitate States’ efforts to improve upon 
and expand the goals and objectives of national 
health reform; and 
(4) incorporate the principles of State innova-
tion espoused in the Health Partnership Act and 
Health Partnership Through Creative Federalism 
Act. 
Æ 
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