Transcript Standard Presentation - American Nurses Association

Making the Case for Health
Insurance Reform
The Nurses’ Perspective
ANA: On the Frontlines of Health
Insurance Reform
In Nurses’ Own Words…
“It is incomprehensible to me that in the
United States there are two standards of care
– one for those with comprehensive health
insurance coverage, and another for those who
are under insured or lack insurance.” – Keisha
Walker, RN, MSN
Senior Research Nurse, Johns Hopkins University,
Baltimore, MD
In Nurses’ Own Words…
“I have patients every day who must decide
whether to purchase medications or eat.” -Linda McIntosh, RN, MSN, APN
Family Nurse Practitioner, Des Arc, AR
ANA’s Belief
Quality, affordable health care
is not a privilege, but a basic
human right.
Goals of Health Insurance Reform
• Bring Stability and Improved Care to Americans by
offering new consumer protections
• Reduce Costs to make health care affordable
• Protect a Patient’s Choice of Providers, hospitals
and insurance plans
• Assure Quality, Affordable Health Care for all
patients
Today’s Current System
• Under current system, around half of all Americans under
65 will lose their health coverage at some point over the
next ten years.**
• In the last 12 months, six million more Americans lost
their health insurance. *
• Harvard researchers found that 62% of all U.S. personal
bankruptcies were caused by health problems – 78% of
those had insurance.
Top Reasons to Support Health Care
Reform
• Ends Discrimination for Pre-existing Conditions
• Ends Exorbitant Out-of-Pocket Expenses,
Deductibles or Co-pays
• Ends Cost-Sharing for Preventive Care
• Ends Dropping of Coverage for Seriously Ill.
Top Reasons for Health Care
Reform (con’td.)
• Ends Gender Discrimination.
• Ends Annual or Lifetime Caps on Coverage
• Extends Coverage for Young Adults
• Guarantees Insurance Renewal.
Why ANA Supports Public Plan
Option
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Broader choice for patients
Increase affordability
Foster marketplace competition
Ensure access to services.
Health Insurance Reform and
Nursing Workforce:
Coverage does not equal access.
The supply of nurses must be sufficient in order
for health insurance reform to be successful.
Take Action Now!
www.RNaction.org /healthcare
 Join ANA’s Health Care Reform Team
 Share Your Story
 Write Your Member of Congress
 Health Care Reform Toolkit
o Myth vs. Fact of HCR Legislation
o Reasons to Support HCR
o Status of HCR Legislation in Congress
www.RNaction.org/Healthcare
Take Action Now!
• Media Outreach: Make your voices
heard -- Visit ANA*Net for health care
reform press release template, pitch
letter and media tips.
• Contact ANA’s CMA Media Relations
Helpdesk at (301) 628-5038 for help.
Nurses Make A Difference…
“Do your part -- nurses, you guys have a lot of credibility;
you touch a lot of people's lives; people trust you -- if you're
out there saying it's time for us to act…America will finally join the
ranks of every other advanced nation by providing quality, affordable
health insurance to all of its citizens.”
-- President Barack Obama , addressing nurses after
being introduced by ANA’s President Patton, September 10, 2009