Diverse group seeks to aid uninsured

A politically eclectic group has been meeting in secret for months in an effort to craft a proposal that will expand healthcare coverage to as many uninsured people as possible, The New York Times reported on its website yesterday.

The issue has cooled in Washington since the collapse of President Clinton's proposal for universal healthcare coverage in 1994, but the problem is increasingly urgent among people who provide healthcare coverage and those who pay for it, the paper said.

The Census Bureau said 45 million Americans had no health insurance in 2003, up by more than 5 million from 2000.

The group's 24 participants include executives from AARP; the AFL-CIO; the American Hospital Association; the American Medical Association; America's Health Insurance Plans, the trade association for health insurers; the National Conference of State Legislatures; the National Governors Association; Pfizer; the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association; and the US Chamber of Commerce. The liberal Families USA and the conservative Heritage Foundation also are participating, the Times said.

The report said the participants hope to avoid political pressure by meeting in secret. While no agreement has been reached, plans that have been discussed include tax incentives for the purchase of insurance, changing Medicaid to cover more low-income adults, the creation of purchasing pools at the state level, and increasing federal spending.

GLOBE STAFF