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- <text id=93TT1964>
- <title>
- June 28, 1993: Paying for the Clinton Plan
- </title>
- <history>
- TIME--The Weekly Newsmagazine--1993
- Jun. 28, 1993 Fatherhood
- </history>
- <article>
- <source>Time Magazine</source>
- <hdr>
- HEALTH CARE, Page 33
- Paying for the Clinton Plan
- </hdr>
- <body>
- <p> Ohio Congressman John Kasich was just musing when he told friends
- that he and some other Republicans should invite Hillary Rodham
- Clinton to dinner to talk about health care. To his surprise,
- Hillary heard about the idea and phoned to accept. Over grilled
- salmon at Kasich's home last week, Mrs. Clinton and 11 Republicans
- talked for 2 1/2 hours about the chances for bipartisan cooperation.
- Result: some differences over specifics, but joint recognition
- that the public is demanding action.
- </p>
- <p> In other ways too the Administration has sought to keep up momentum.
- Earlier this month health-care adviser Ira Magaziner gave an
- update to hundreds of members of the working groups that had
- studied what to propose. Onstage alone for 10 hours in the Old
- Executive Office Building, Magaziner stressed again that the
- Administration intends to give states maximum flexibility in
- delivering a basic benefits package. To the many in his audience
- who favor a "single-payer" system (government acts as sole insurer
- and pays all bills), Magaziner advised, "If you think single
- payer is best, then argue for that in your state."
- </p>
- <p> The plan nonetheless appears to be a long way from finished.
- Some things have been decided: there will be a cigarette tax
- to finance the plan, most likely $1 a pack, and some kind of
- employer contribution that will look like a tax. Maybe a tax
- on doctors and hospitals too.
- </p>
- <p> Hillary's Republican dinner companions made it plain that they
- want to help pass some kind of reform before facing the voters
- in 1994. Lawrence O'Donnell, staff director of the Senate Finance
- Committee, thinks that group may approve the taxes needed to
- pay for reform this year. But Kasich warned Mrs. Clinton that
- the Administration must do something first: set a firm date
- for unveiling a plan--and this time stick to it.
- </p>
-
- </body>
- </article>
- </text>
-
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