Lawmakers and witnesses on Thursday at a House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health hearing discussed several proposals to reform the U.S. health care system, CQ HealthBeat reports. Subcommittee Democrats said that the current economic downturn increased the need for health care reform.

According to CQ HealthBeat, witnesses at the hearing presented "several ideas for change that have been heard many times before on Capitol Hill." Some witnesses recommended proposals that would allow the purchase of health insurance across state lines and expand use of health savings accounts to make health insurance more affordable. Other witnesses recommended expansions of Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP to extend health insurance to more people.

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair John Dingell (D-Mich.) said that "there will be new opportunities for reform" in 2009, as a new president will take office and "support for comprehensive reform has become widespread," with a "diverse group of business and health industry leaders ... now calling for change" (Carey, CQ HealthBeat, 9/18).

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