Group Pushes Universal Health Care

[RedEarth]

Sept. 25, 2006 -- Americans should have universal access to health insurance by the year 2012, a congressionally mandated report concluded Monday.

The report calls on Congress to move by next year to pass insurance reforms protecting all citizens from catastrophic medical bills using either market-based insurance policies or taxpayer-funded methods.

It then calls for new laws guaranteeing universal access to affordable health insurance to be in place by 2012. The report was issued by the Citizens' Health Care Working Group, which was directed by Congress to hold a series of public forums nationwide on how to reform the health care system. Congress is required to hold hearings on the report next year.

"The overwhelming majority of Americans that the working group heard from … want health care system change to begin now," the report states.

Approximately 46 million Americans are estimated to lack health coverage. Meanwhile, the cost of private health insurance for a family of four now tops $10,000. The report does not endorse a particular policy for expanding coverage, though experts acknowledged that progress would likely end up encompassing a combination of private incentives and government expansions

http://www.webmd.com/content/article/127/116827?printing=true

[jaxx]

1. I'm pushing it too.

It's time we took care of our own first.