SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

  The Congress finds as follows:

  (1) Under the current health care system in the United States

  (A) individuals risk losing their health care coverage when they move, when
they lose or change jobs, when they become seriously ill, or when the coverage
becomes unaffordable;

  (B) continued escalation of health care costs threatens the economy of the
United States, undermines the international competitiveness of the Nation, and
strains Federal, State, and local budgets;

  (C) an excessive burden of forms, paperwork, and bureaucratic procedures
confuses consumers and overwhelms health care providers;

  (D) fraud and abuse sap the strength of the health care system; and

  (E) health care is a critical part of the economy of the United States and
interstate commerce, consumes a significant percentage of public and private
spending, and affects all industries and individuals in the United States.

  (2) Under any reform of the health care system

  (A) health insurance and high quality health care should be secure,
uninterrupted, and affordable for all individuals in the United States;

  (B) comprehensive health care benefits that meet the full range of health
needs, including primary, preventive, and specialized care, should be
available to all individuals in the United States;

  (C) the current high quality of health care in the United States should be
maintained;

  (D) individuals in the United States should be afforded a meaningful
opportunity to choose among a range of health plans, health care providers,
and treatments;

  (E) regulatory and administrative burdens should be reduced;

  (F) the rapidly escalating costs of health care should be contained without
sacrificing high quality or impeding technological improvements;

  (G) competition in the health care industry should ensure that health plans
and health care providers are efficient and charge reasonable prices;

  (H) a partnership between the Federal Government and each State should allow
the State and its local communities to design an effective, high-quality
system of care that serves the residents of the State;

  (I) all individuals should have a responsibility to pay their fair share of
the costs of health care coverage;

  (J) a health care system should build on the strength of the
employment-based coverage arrangements that now exist in the United States;

  (K) the penalties for fraud and abuse should be swift and severe; and

  (L) an individual's medical information should remain confidential and
should be protected from unauthorized disclosure and use.

Purposes