Lack of universal coverage costing us all

The Thursday, May 28 issue of the Deseret Morning News has an article about the "hidden tax" on health insurance created by the rising number of uninsured.  It is already a well established fact Americans pay more for health insurance than citizens of any other industrialized country.  Now, according to the Deseret Morning News article, a study released by Families USA shows each insured family paid an average of  $1,017 more in 2008 for health coverage to pay for "uncompensated health coverage".  Uncompensated coverage is the the cost of providing health care to the uninsured and eventually passed on to the insured.  

While there are a number of proposals floating around out there about how best to provide universal coverage in this country, the Families USA study makes clear simply providing everyone with health coverage in some form would bring down the cost of health care for working families by more than $1,000 a year.  The study's authors also argue the cost of the uninsured to insured individuals and families is likely to skyrocket in 2009 due to the number of Americans losing their insurance during the current economic downturn.

Of course, those denied coverage due to so called "pre-existing conditions" or who find themselves under insured upon being diagnosed with a serious problem also often end up being unable to pay their doctor or hospital for care.  These costs too are passed on to employers and individual workers with coverage. 

President Obama has articulated the goals and values shaping his health care reform efforts.  These include:

• Reduce long-term growth of health care costs for businesses and government
• Protect families from bankruptcy or debt because of health care costs
• Guarantee choice of doctors and health plans
• Invest in prevention and wellness
• Improve patient safety and quality of care
• Assure affordable, quality health coverage for all Americans
• Maintain coverage when you change or lose your job
• End barriers to coverage for people with pre-existing medical conditions

He is asking Americans to join with him in helping shape the outcome of the health care reform debate now underway in Congress by participating in a Health Care Organizing Kick Off on June 6th.  Together, we can achieve real health care reform that will deliver higher quality care at a lower cost to every American.  It is clear we can no longer afford to put it off any longer.