US Health Care Reform Report

[Guest guest]

Hi All-

 

This is from the US Dep't of Health and Human Services, with a link to a study

about perceived need in the US for health care reform.  The content below

contains some powerful statistics, for those interested in dialog with our new

president on the subject.

 

Andrea Beth

 

Traditional Oriental Medicine

Happy Hours in the CALM Center

1770 E. Villa Drive, Suite 5

Cottonwood, AZ  86326

(928) 274-1373

 

 

Date:  March 5, 2009

For Release:  Immediately

Contact:  HHS Press Office

(202) 690-6343

 

 

HHS Issues Special Report on Health Reform and Launches New

healthreform.gov  Web Site

 

American People Say Health Care System is Broken, Highlight Need for

Action

This Year on Health Reform

 

Americans expressed serious concerns regarding health care in a new

report released today by the Department of Health and Human Services.

The report, Americans Speak on Health Reform:  Report on Health Care

Community Discussions, summarizes comments from the thousands of

Americans who hosted and participated in Health Care Community

Discussions across the country and highlights the need for immediate

action to reform health care.

 

The report is available on a new Web site dedicated to health reform:

www.healthreform.gov. Unveiled today, the Web site will allow Americans

to view today's White House Health Forum, share their thoughts about

health reform with the Obama Administration and sign a statement in

support of President Obama's commitment to enacting comprehensive health

reform this year.

 

" This new Web site, www.healthreform.gov and report ensure that when we

discuss health reform, the American people will have an equal stake in

the health reform efforts, " said HHS Spokeswoman Jenny Backus.

" Sky-rocketing health care costs are creating enormous pressure on

families, on businesses and our fiscal future.  The Obama Administration

is committed to taking action this year on health reform and is calling

on government, business, health care stakeholders and everyday Americans

to come together to make it happen. "

 

In December, then President-elect Obama called on the American people to

host Health Care Community Discussions to assess the seriousness of the

problems and identify solutions.  In the last eight years, health

insurance premiums have grown four times faster than wages and one

million more Americans have lost their health insurance each year.

Health care costs have forced small businesses to close their doors and

compelled corporations to ship jobs overseas.

 

Over 9,000 people signed up in all 50 states and the District of

Columbia to host a discussion, and thousands more participated in these

gatherings.  After each Health Care Community Discussion, guests and

hosts were asked to fill out a Participant Survey and submit a group

report to the Presidential Transition Team's Web site summarizing the

group's concerns and suggestions.  Group reports from 3,276 Health Care

Community Discussions as well as Participant Surveys from 30,603

participants were collected, analyzed, and are summarized in the report.

 

 

 

 

The cost of health care services and health insurance was the top

concern about the health care system for 55 percent of discussion

participants. Participants also cited lack of emphasis on prevention,

pre-existing conditions limiting insurance access, and the quality of

care as key concerns. A qualitative analysis found that the Health Care

Community Discussions focused on concerns about a " broken " health

system, access to health insurance and services, rising premiums and

drug costs, medical mistakes and the system not being " for them. "

 

Health Care Community Discussion group participants agreed on the values

and direction that should guide reform.  They called for a system that

is fair, patient-centered and choice-oriented, simple and efficient, and

comprehensive. Participants also offered a wide range of specific

solutions, including making health insurance more accessible through an

insurance " exchange " or a public plan option, creating scorecards on

quality and cost, improving the nutritional content of school lunches,

implementing electronic medical records and creating an AmeriCorps for

health workers. 

 

Today's report also includes a series of personal testimonials from

Health Care Community Discussion participants who expressed their

concern about the state of health care in America.  A farmer from Enid,

Okla., explained, " I have spent my life's savings on [health care], and

now I am refused care at our local hospital because I cannot pay.  I may

have to file bankruptcy due to this. "   A report from Missoula, Mont.,

commenting on policies that allow insurers to deny coverage to Americans

with pre-existing conditions said, " No mother should have to say her

daughter is 'uninsurable.' "

 

President Obama has committed to reforming health care this year and has

already acted to make health care more affordable and accessible.

President Obama signed a law to provide and protect health insurance for

11 million American children through the Children's Health Insurance

Program.  The President also signed into law the American Recovery and

Reinvestment Act which includes investments in electronic health

records, prevention, comparative effectiveness research, and health

workforce training -- foundations for a 21st century health care system.

Additionally, the President's Budget Blueprint also includes an historic

commitment to comprehensive health care reform.

 

A copy of Americans Speak on Health Reform:  Report on Health Care

Community Discussions, group reports filed by participants and hundreds

of submitted photos are available at www.HealthReform.gov.

 

 

 

 

 

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Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are

available at http://www.hhs.gov/news.