Bush's health care plan called inadequate after State of Union talk

Published: 2006-02-01

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- President George W. Bush's plan to expand health insurance coverage through health savings accounts, outlined in his Jan. 31 State of the Union address, is "of no value to low-income populations," the head of the Catholic Health Association said after the talk. Sister Carol Keehan, a Daughter of Charity who is CHA president and CEO, said she was disappointed in Bush's proposal to expand the availability of tax-free savings accounts for health care expenditures, accompanied by high-deductible health insurance policies. "Rather than offering a viable insurance option for low-income families and individuals, (health savings accounts) benefit only those who can afford them in the first place," said Sister Carol, who sat in first lady Laura Bush's box during the 2004 State of the Union talk. "If one does not have the extra money to save for routine care, and if one cannot afford high deductibles for catastrophic care, health savings accounts provide no help," she said. In his address, Bush said health care reform must be a priority to keep America competitive.

Copyright (c) 2006 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .