Jeff Bingaman United States Senator from New Mexico

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today led a panel discussion on the role of public programs in healthcare reform.

The Senate Finance Committee sponsored a daylong discussion titled “Prepare for Launch: Health Reform Summit 2008” – a bipartisan summit to discuss options for health care reform in 2009. Bingaman is a member of the Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over Medicare, Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), and led one of several panel discussions that took place on Capitol Hill.

“The number of uninsured Americans is approaching 50 million. Unfortunately, it has been very difficult over the past few years to get the kind of support needed in Congress and the White House to begin addressing this very serious problem,” Bingaman said.

“I hope that today’s health care summit is the beginning of a major effort to not only stop adding to the ranks of the uninsured, but to actually find ways to make health insurance a reality for the millions of Americans who need it,” he added.

New Mexico relies heavily on Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP funding to help build its healthcare safety net. Bingaman was instrumental last year in trying to improve SCHIP, allowing it to cover more New Mexico children. Unfortunately, President Bush vetoed the legislation and Congress was unable to override the veto.

The following health care professionals joined Bingaman and U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) at the discussion:

Karen Davis, The Commonwealth Fund
Regina Herzlinger, Harvard Business School, Harvard UniversityJeanne Lambrew, Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, University of Texas at Austin
Mark McClellan, Brookings Institute-AEI