Health Care for America
The Politics
On July 8, the new (HCAN) coalition was launched by the Campaign for America’s Future and 100 other national and local organizations. The coalition’s mission is to establish a public mandate for quality, affordable health care for all. We can be sure that health care will play a central role in the 2008 election because Americans are wholly dissatisfied with the current system, and there is a dramatic difference between the way progressives and conservatives would address the problem.
The HCAN coalition is asking a big question of individuals and candidates for office at all levels: Which side are you on when it comes to America’s health care future? Do you support our progressive principles—affordable coverage for all and a guarantee of real choices? Or do you support the conservative “you’re on your own” approach to health care, with no guarantee of coverage and the massive, overnight shift of up to 158 million workers out of employer-sponsored group health plans, throwing them at the mercy of the private insurance market? [Read more about the progressive and conservative approaches]
The overall HCAN goal is a nationwide discussion with average people, grassroots community leaders, elected officials, experts and opinion leaders all coming together to demand health care action—making the 2008 election a mandate for the right kind of change in 2009. And HCAN will continue its dynamic organizing and education work until America has quality, affordable health care for all.
The Facts
Health care premiums are skyrocketing. From 2000 to 2007, the cost of employer-sponsored insurance increased from $6,438 to $12,106 for family coverage. [Kaiser Family Foundation] Adjusted for inflation, that’s a 56 percent increase to cover a family of four. Moreover, because employers are passing more costs onto their workers, the share paid by employees for their health insurance rose 68 percent.
Insurance deductibles and co-pays have also increased. Between 2001 and 2005, the average deductible for a conventional fee-for-service health plan increased from $598 to $1,192. During the same period, patients were forced to pay larger co-pays for visits to a doctor and for prescription drugs. [Kaiser Family Foundation]
More and more Americans are uninsured. The number of uninsured in America has increased from 38 million in 2000 to 47 million today, a figure that includes 9 million children. [U.S. Census Bureau] Much of this increase comes from middle income families losing insurance coverage. For adults with incomes above 200 percent of the federal poverty level (about $42,000 per year for a family), the underinsured rate nearly tripled since 2003. [Health Affairs]
An additional 25 million Americans are underinsured. The number of people who have insurance that does not adequately protect them from high medical expenses has risen dramatically. Between 2003 and 2007, the number of underinsured adults increased by 60 percent. [Commonwealth Fund]
Insurance companies continue to reap record profits. In 2007, the top five health insurance companies reported a combined profit of $10 billion. [Fortune] They accomplished this by cherry-picking healthy patients and denying needed care to unhealthy patients.
The Argument
The current health care system has to change. Enough is enough. Americans are paying too much for health insurance; we are denied coverage too often; and in a great country like ours, we should not have tens of millions uninsured.
We need to guarantee quality affordable health care for all. We need coverage that meets our families’ health care needs and is affordable, based on a sliding scale. We need government to be an advocate for us, to set and enforce the rules so insurance companies put our health care before their profits. We need to have the choice of keeping the health care we have or selecting a public plan, so we’re not left at the mercy of the same private insurance companies that have gotten us into this mess.
The McCain-conservative health care proposal would push Americans off existing employer-provided insurance plans, leaving us to fend for ourselves in the private insurance market. The conservatives propose to eliminate the tax deduction that encourages employers to offer health benefits. Their plan would put more than 158 million Americans at risk of losing existing coverage and would force them to buy expensive and inadequate health insurance policies on the private insurance market. That is, if they can get it, since the plan would also let private insurance companies deny coverage to tens of millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions. And it would eliminate any controls on insurance company premiums, profits and coverage. [Roger Hickey]
Progressive Solutions
Guarantee quality affordable health care for all. Health coverage must be affordable, with premiums and out-of-pocket costs based on a family’s ability to pay. The progressive health care alternative emphasizes consumer choice, affordability and quality. Individuals would have the right to keep the coverage they have now if they like it, or could choose either a public, Medicare-style insurance plan or one of an array of regulated private plans. Employers would be expected to cover their employees or pay into a fund for the public plan.
Prevent insurance companies from taking advantage of working Americans. Under a progressive health care system, Americans are given a choice. If you currently have insurance you like, you can keep it. If you prefer, you can choose from the kind of regulated private plans now available to Congress, or opt into a new public insurance plan. The public insurance option will help force private companies to offer competitively-priced, quality care.
Contain Health Costs. A progressive health care system will save up to $120 billion as we emphasize preventative care, move toward electronic medical records, and decrease the number of costly emergency room visits.
Establish a public mandate for quality, affordable health care for all. Health Care for America Now—a coalition launched by the Campaign for America’s future and over 100 national and local organizations—is asking a big question of individuals and candidates for office at all levels: Which side are you on when it comes to America’s health care future? Will you support guaranteed, affordable coverage with real choices, or will you follow the conservative approach and put Americans at the mercy of private insurers? The overall HCAN goal is a nationwide discussion with average people, grassroots community leaders, elected officials, experts and opinion leaders all coming together to demand health care action—making the 2008 election a mandate for the right kind of change in 2009.
