The Federal Budget: Funds for Uninsured Working Families

Publication Date: February 2001

Publisher: Families USA

Author(s):

Research Area: Health

Type: Other

Abstract:

During the campaign, President Bush promised to expand health coverage to low-wage workers and their families--and he budgeted $132 billion over 10 years for that purpose. The main component of the President's health coverage expansion proposal was an individual tax credit (but that tax credit was never a part of his omnibus tax reduction package). Although individual tax credits are an ineffective way to expand health coverage for uninsured, low-wage working families [see box below], the President's fiscal commitment to the uninsured is noteworthy. These funds should be included, or enlarged upon, in the Budget Resolution. Unless such funding is included in the budget, Congress will be unable to enact a more effective proposal to expand coverage for low-wage workers and their families.