Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, joined a growing chorus Sunday against a key ingredient in President Clinton's health-care plan.
The New York Democrat heads a panel that will have a major say over the health-care bill. He said health alliances, consumer pools designed to negotiate medical prices, probably won't survive the congressional battlefield because they're too big and too bureaucratic.
Appearing on CBS's Face the Nation, Moynihan became the second congressional leader to publicly predict major changes in basic elements of Clinton's health-care plan.
Last Thursday, House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt, D-Mo., sponsor of the Clinton plan, said House Democrats would alter important parts while keeping its goals.
Clinton's proposal calls for each state to set up at least one alliance to:
-- Negotiate prices with doctors, hospitals and other health providers.
-- Monitor health insurance premiums.
-- Supervise the state health system's operation.
White House spokeswoman Lorrie McHugh said the administration was willing to consider other ways to achieve the president's goals. But she defended the concept of alliances, which have been criticized by insurers who say they would take away a patient's choice of doctors.
"As far as alliances, we want people to have choice, to choose their doctors, to choose their plans, eliminate discrimination. That's what alliances would do," McHugh said.
While Clinton's bottom line of providing health insurance coverage for all isn't negotiable, Moynihan said: "It doesn't have to happen on July 1 of next year." He also said:
-- Clinton's plan to require all employers to pick up 80% of the cost of insurance for their workers would probably be eased to win support from small businesses who oppose the measure as too costly.
Said Moynihan: "You don't have to have a universal employer mandate because . . . not everybody is employed. And you might divide it between somewhat larger firms and leave a different arrangement for the smaller firms. Probably we're going to end up there, because you'll have to have that to get the support of the smaller firms."
-- Limits on rate increases for insurance premiums probably would become "more flexible." But, he added, "You want to have some . . . downward pressure on prices."
Rep. Dan Rostenkowski, D-Ill., chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, which will craft the health-reform package in the House, predicted a bill on the president's desk by September or October.
"I went to about 25 wakes on the 1986 tax (reform) bill, but I never went to a funeral," Rostenkowski said on ABC's This Week with David Brinkley. "I still think that's what's going to happen with this bill."
