News Releases for July 2004
July 15, 2004
Contact NGA Office of Communications:
Washington, DC: (202) 624-5334
Seattle (July 14-19): (206) 448-6693
Governors To Address Uninsured Challenges
Nation's Governors To Discuss Increasing Access To Quality, Affordable Health Insurance At Upcoming Annual Meeting
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In an attempt to combat the growing numbers of uninsured Americans, the nation's governors will meet at the National Governors Association (NGA) 96th Annual Meeting in Seattle to explore strategies that make quality health care affordable and accessible for all Americans.
The governors' discussion, "The Uninsured: Challenges and Opportunities," will occur in the NGA's Health and Human Services committee meeting, on Sunday, July 18 at 3:00 p.m. in The Westin Seattle.
"Reducing the number of the uninsured in America is a priority for all of us," said North Dakota Gov. John Hoeven, the committee chair. "With many leading experts in the field set to address our committee, this upcoming annual meeting promises to provide us with a unique opportunity to discuss a range of innovative strategies and potential solutions to solving the problem."
Currently, approximately 44 million Americans are uninsured, including more than 20 percent of working-age Americans and about 10 percent of children. According to the National Institutes of Medicine, uninsured Americans receive about one-half of the medical care of people with insurance, which tends to leave them sicker and likely to die younger. The nation loses $65 billion to $130 billion per year because of the poor health and premature deaths of uninsured Americans. This creates a significant burden on affected individuals and their families, as well as on the state and federal economies.
"Unfortunately, there are more than 44 million people without health insurance in the United States today. Our upcoming meeting in Seattle is an excellent opportunity for governors to discuss this critical issue and map out potential solutions," said Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, the committee vice chair. "States have made tremendous progress in stemming the tide of uninsured children, but each day more and more hard-working Americans struggle to pay for their health insurance. I welcome the chance to discuss with my colleagues the various strategies to bridge the uninsured gap for low and moderate-income workers."
Governors Hoeven and Granholm will lead the session will include panelists Diane Rowland, Executive Director of the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, who will discuss effective solutions states have made to decrease the uninsured rate, and Alissa Fox, the Executive Director of Policy at the Blue Cross/Blue Shield Association, who will discuss some possible public/private partnerships that could help diminish the number of uninsured.
"Under the committed leadership of our governors and expanded state health insurance programs, states have made tremendous progress in ensuring that America's children are insured, and they are equally determined to see similar results for working-class Americans who too often today cannot afford to pay for their health insurance," said NGA Executive Director Ray Scheppach. "This committee meeting gives governors the opportunity to discuss in-depth a range of possible policy solutions."
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