Census Data On Uninsured Reinforces Call For Healthcare Reform
August 26, 2008
WASHINGTON – In response to the data released today by the U.S. Census Bureau on the number of uninsured in our nation, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) President and CEO Scott P. Serota issued the following statement:
"The fact that 45.7 million Americans are uninsured is unacceptable. It's imperative that we address the fundamental issues plaguing our healthcare system and enact meaningful healthcare reform. We need to build on the employer-based system to improve the quality and value of our healthcare system while simultaneously expanding coverage to everyone.
"Earlier this year the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association released a five-point plan, 'The Pathway to Covering America,' that outlines key recommendations for addressing the number of uninsured, including:
- Encourage research on what works. America needs an independent institute to support research comparing the relative effectiveness of new and existing medical procedures, drugs, devices and biologics.
- Change incentives to promote better care. The incentives in our system must be changed to advance the best possible care, instead of paying for more services that may be ineffective, redundant or even harmful.
- Empower consumers and providers. We must give consumers and providers the information and tools they need to make informed decisions. This starts with information systems to manage personal health records. In addition, consumers need to know how much they are paying and what they are getting for it.
- Promote health and wellness. We must promote healthy lifestyles to prevent chronic illness and work aggressively to help patients with chronic illnesses manage their health.
- Foster public-private coverage solutions. We need to tailor our coverage plans to capture the diversity of the uninsured population so that no one gets "squeezed out" by cost, "misses out" on available government assistance or "opts out" because they do not think they need coverage.
"Meaningful change in our nation's delivery and quality of healthcare will require the collective efforts of insurers, hospitals, physicians, policymakers and others. We must address the national failure of millions of people lacking access to healthcare services. We look forward to working with the administration, Congress and other stakeholders to find solutions to help reduce the number of people without insurance."
More information about BCBSA's "The Pathway to Covering America," can be found 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 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.
