BCBSHealthIssues.com
Healthcare System Is Due for Transformation
By Margaret Heldring, PhD
President and CEO, America’s HealthTogether
At the top of the healthcare agenda for the 108th Congress could be the
transformation of our present healthcare system. According to a recent issue
of Health Affairs, nearly 60 percent of the national healthcare dollar is
now financed through taxes-for such programs as Medicare, Medicaid, SCHIP,
the Veterans Administration, tax-subsidies for workers, and public employee
benefit plans. The new Congress will be working hard to reduce that
percentage-by squeezing program revenues, cutting benefits, and forcing
individuals to pay for more of their own healthcare expenses.
At America’s HealthTogether/Coalition Health First, we believe that there’s
a better way. All Americans deserve quality, affordable healthcare.
Healthcare should be an essential service, such as public education and
national security that we all can count on. There is one insurance program
that includes everyone, regardless of income, race, ethnicity, gender, and
health status. One program that is administered efficiently and is simple to
understand and use. One program that guarantees choice of provider, and is
rated highly by a large proportion of its members. That program is called
Medicare for Americans aged 65 and older and millions of the disabled.
As more Americans are forced to drop their health insurance coverage because
of higher premium costs or to pay more out-of-pocket for their current
coverage, we predict that a new and improved Medicare program for all
Americans may start sounding like a winning solution in 2004.
Dr. Margaret Heldring served as the Director of Health Policy for former
Senator Bill Bradley’s 2000 presidential campaign. She is a clinical
psychologist with more than 30 years experience in health care.
America’s HealthTogether is a public policy organization devoted to assuring
affordable health care for all, unencumbered access to essential health care
services, and a belief that mental health is fundamental to good health.
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