BCBSA Response To State Of The Union Address
Statement from Scott P. Serota, president and CEO, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association
January 29, 2008
WASHINGTON – In response to President Bush's State of the Union Address, Scott P. Serota, president and chief executive officer of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA), issued the following statement:
"The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) applauds President Bush's commitment to improving the nation's healthcare system.
"BCBSA strongly believes that all Americans should have health insurance. To this end, we recently released a comprehensive, five-pronged strategy to improve healthcare quality, ensure value and make healthcare more accessible for all.
"A healthcare system that is unaffordable for many Americans today won't work for even more people tomorrow. While there is no magic answer to healthcare reform, BCBSA's five-point plan proposes fundamental changes to the incentives in today's healthcare delivery system that will help providers improve quality of care, rein in dramatically rising costs, and extend coverage to the uninsured. Building on the current employer-based system, we envision a well-functioning, integrated healthcare system of the future that provides high quality and affordable care for all Americans.
"BCBSA looks forward to working with the administration and Congress to pursue meaningful, bipartisan reforms that will improve Americans' access to quality, affordable coverage."
A copy of BCBSA's proposal, "Pathway to Covering America: Ensuring Quality, Value and Access," is available online at www.bcbs.com/pathwayreport.
The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association is a national federation of 39 independent, community-based and locally operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies that collectively provide healthcare coverage for nearly 100 million members - one-in-three Americans. For more information on the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and its member companies, please visit www.BCBS.com.
