|
Every American deserves
access to high quality, affordable health care. But, despite the
wealth of our nation, many Americans are denied that access. Today,
44 million Americans, 10 million of whom are children, have absolutely
no health insurance. Another 190 million, who enrolled in managed
care plans, are often unable to receive the treatment prescribed
for them by their physicians because they lack basic patient rights.
And, 14 million senior citizens, who were promised that Medicare
would take care of them in their golden years, do not have coverage
for the prescription medications they need to stay healthy.
|
|
| In 1997, Congress created the Children's Health Insurance Program
(CHIP), which represented the largest investment in children's health
care since the inception of Medicaid in 1965. Our major challenge
now, is to move beyond the successes of CHIP in covering kids to increase
the number of adults with access to health care. We must also establish
Patients' Bill of Rights so that doctors, not insurance company bureaucrats,
make medical decisions governing care for patients who have coverage.
And, we must update Medicare to include an affordable, voluntary prescription
drug benefit for our nation's seniors. |
