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After a year when the war in Iraq, the November elections, energy prices, global warming and immigration issues dominated the news, another important topic—health insurance—has once again jumped to front and center on the national news scene. And deservedly so. The United States is the world's wealthiest nation. We have the most highly skilled health professionals. Outstanding facilities. State-of-the-art technologies and pharmaceuticals. World renown educational programs. Yet, shamefully, we are also the home of nearly 47 million uninsured citizens. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's latest estimates, 46.6 million people—about one out of every six Americans—is without health insurance. That is an intolerably high number of vulnerable children, women and men…and it has spurred a flurry of state initiatives and proposals focused on finding innovative ways to reduce these numbers. Massachusetts, Vermont, Maine, California and Pennsylvania are among more than a dozen states which have enacted or proposed comprehensive health care reform legislation aimed at providing accessible, affordable health care to all residents. And more change is certainly at hand. For example, a bi-partisan group of legislators recently announced plans to reintroduce two bills which both support and encourage new and innovative state health coverage initiatives. These bills have been endorsed by many national groups including the American Hospital Association, and the concept is attracting widespread attention and support. A recent USA Today editorial stated "A national solution would be preferred…but having states serve as laboratories for experiments will let us see which ideas work and which ones should be abandoned. Perhaps Washington will take notice and at long last act." At the federal level, while President Bush made his desire to expand health coverage an important part of his recent State of the Union Address, there was widespread disappointment in and criticism of his proposals, particularly in his failure to address the upcoming reauthorization requirement facing the State Children's Health Insurance program (SCHIP), which covers the nation's nine million uninsured children. Sister Carol Keehan, DC, president and chief executive officer of the Catholic Health Association of the United States, while encouraged by the president's focus on health care as a domestic priority, noted that "CHA is disappointed that the president's plan falls short of a significant coverage expansion and of truly addressing the weaknesses of our health system." Keehan also expressed "…serious concerns about any plan that would eliminate funding for hospitals and providers that care for low-income, elderly populations. Shifting costs in the way would hurt the quality and quantity of care available to the most vulnerable." Through my recent conversations with so many of you throughout CHE, I know that we are all in agreement with Sr. Carol's remarks. Accessible and affordable health care for all, especially for the poor and disadvantaged, must be the cornerstone of successful health reform. A focus on encouraging and incentivizing wellness and preventive care among the public and our practitioners is also vitally important. New models of care management - to help patients navigate our complex health system and find the right level of care with the right professionals at the right facility at the right time - are also essential. I encourage your continued support of positive change through advocacy efforts to improve access to quality health care, protect Medicaid, and reauthorize and expand SCHIP. I also encourage your involvement in nationwide efforts such as Cover the Uninsured Week (April 23-29, 2007; www.covertheuninsured.org) to draw even more attention to the plight of the uninsured, and I applaud your ongoing sponsorship and support of local mission-driven programs and services that benefit those in your community who are most in need. Thank you and all the members of your team for your ongoing efforts to be a transforming, healing presence in the communities we serve.
Sincerely yours,
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