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Senators push for health initiative |
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Thursday, 30 April 2009 |
By WILLIAM LANEY
Managing Editor
In legislation planned for introduction in the U.S. Senate, more Americans would be covered by health insurance through a new public health insurance option competing with private health insurers, a U.S. legislator says.
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, claimed the adoption of a public health option would help control runaway health insurance costs and improve the quality of care available through competition as well as increase access to preventative health care programs in rural areas.
“Comprehensive health reform is not only a moral issue — it’s critical to getting our economy back on track,” Brown said during Wednesday’s teleconference and later in a news release. “We can’t achieve economic prosperity if families are only one hospital visit away from financial disaster or American businesses struggle to compete globally due to health care costs.”
Citing statistics prior to a recent rash of layoffs, Brown noted 50 million Americans are uninsured and another 25 million are underinsured. An underinsured person is person with health insurance that does not adequately protect them from catastrophic health care expenses.
In Ohio, the senator said 1.2 million Ohioans — those between 17 and 64 years of age — are uninsured.
Between 2004 and 2008, Auglaize County experienced a 3.22 percent increase in the number of the adults that are uninsured, while numbers in Allen and Hancock counties grew by 3.44 percent and 5.99 percent, respectively. The numbers decreased in Mercer and Shelby counties.
Under the planned legislation, Brown said Americans would have the option to choose between employer-sponsored health insurance and a menu of health insurance plans including a public health insurance option.
“We must preserve access to employer-sponsored health care while increasing competition in the private market,” Brown said. “Even though we will institute rules regarding pre-existing conditions and other things, insurance companies always seem to have ways to be one step ahead of the sheriff — to disqualify people who won’t be profitable.
“That simply doesn’t work for this country and this country’s health care system,” he said. “Including a public health plan option will give people, especially those it doesn’t serve very well, options and will keep costs down while ensuring coverage is comprehensive and accessible.”
On Wednesday, Brown and 15 Senate colleagues sent a letter explaining the need for a public health insurance option to Congressional leaders.
The letter explains health care reform is long overdue and that Congressional members must “take steps to make coverage more affordable and accessible.”
“To achieve meaningful reform, insurers must compete based on quality and affordability — but clearly that has not always been the case,” the letter says. “Indeed, history suggests that the insurance industry will build a business model at least in part around pushing government subsidies upward. A public option that sets the standard for quality, efficiency and cost will create incentives for healthy competition that will serve the interests of all Americans.”
Brown said he anticipates members of the Senate and House will have companion bills to debate on the floor before the August recess.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 01 May 2009 )
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