Bob Bennett - Senator for the State of Utah

 Senator Bob Bennett has joined ranks with Senator Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, to put forward a plan – The Healthy Americans Act – that would provide every American with affordable, private health insurance. It has attracted the attention of people and organizations on both sides of the aisle as the best way to address the looming health care crisis. The momentum continues to build in the United States Congress, with Democrats and Republicans signing on to support in both chambers. The Senate cosponsors continue to increase, marking a total of 13, including Senators Judd Gregg, Lindsey Graham, Mike Crapo, Lamar Alexander, Debbie Stabenow, Bill Nelson, Joe Lieberman, Tom Carper, Mary Landrieu, Daniel Inouye, Maria Cantwell, Jeff Merkley and Arlen Specter.

The Basic Principles of the Healthy Americans Act

1. CHOICE - Gives Americans choice in what type of coverage best suits their individual and family's needs and a choice in where they receive health care services.
2. PORTABILITY - Because the individual will now own their health policy, insurance becomes portable from job to job and individuals will no longer feel tied to their job because of health benefits.
3. TAX REFORM - Breaks the link between employment and insurance, giving employees instead of employers the tax benefit, which will strengthen incentives to shop for lower cost plans, as well as improve health care quality.
4. HEALTHY BEHAVIOR - Promotes personal responsibility and preventative medicine by creating incentives for individuals to engage in healthy behavior.
5. MARKET FORCES - Provides for patient-driven health care through market forces by allowing more transparency and competition, thereby forcing insurance companies to compete on price, benefits, and quality.