America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) launched a campaign Tuesday aimed at providing healthcare coverage to the more than 40 million uninsured Americans and laying the groundwork for universal coverage in America.
The plan would expand eligibility for public programs, enable all consumers to purchase health insurance with pre-tax dollars, provide financial assistance to help working families afford coverage and encourage states to develop and implement access proposals.
"The leaders of the nation's health insurers are united in a strong belief that every American should have access to healthcare coverage," said J. Grover Thomas Jr., chairman of the Trustmark Mutual Holding Company and chairman of AHIP's board of directors. "This bold program would expand coverage to tens of millions within a framework that is fiscally sound and promotes individual responsibility."
AHIP said in a statement that healthcare reform discussions have left those without healthcare coverage empty-handed and those struggling with the high cost of coverage disappointed. The country is eager for a uniquely American approach to healthcare reform, AHIP leaders said.
"We welcome and intend to make a significant contribution to the national discussion of how to blend public and private strategies to achieve a uniquely American solution that can work and be enacted," said Karen Ignagni, president and CEO of AHIP. "We advocate providing coverage for all Americans by repairing the safety net and providing a helping hand to working families and small business owners who are struggling to afford coverage. To accomplish this goal, we must address the core medical cost drivers that are driving up the cost of coverage."
Ignagni noted that the rising cost of healthcare treatment is driving up the cost of coverage due to wide variations in care; overuse, underuse and misuse of services; and proliferation of new technologies without evidence to compare their effectiveness.
The plan is designed to expand access to health insurance coverage to all children within three years and 95 percent of adults within 10 years. AHIP estimates that full implementation of this proposal would cost the federal government approximately $300 billion over a 10-year period.
"The access crisis causes millions of Americans to forego the preventive care and treatment for chronic illness that they need," said George Halvorson, chairman and CEO of Kaiser Permanente and chairman-elect of AHIP's board of directors. "By ensuring everyone has access to coverage, we can make families more secure, workers more productive and, ultimately, make this a healthier nation."
AHIP has some 1,300 member companies providing health insurance coverage to more than 200 million Americans.
Do you believe universal coverage is the way to go? Email your thoughts to Senior Editor Diana Manos at diana.manos@medtechpublishing.com.