Affordable Health Care

All Americans should have access to affordable health care, including prescription drugs, and these costs should not burden future generations.

Something has gone wrong in America when millions of people are just one medical emergency away from bankruptcy and financial ruin. How many of us are sure we can get quality health care when we need it for our children, our loved ones, and ourselves? Something needs to change.

Getting the health care we need shouldn't bankrupt us as individuals, businesses, or government. Businesses, individuals, and communities have a shared responsibility. Getting clear up-front explanations of cost, eliminating unnecessary paperwork, and more research on what works best is a start.

Cost is at the root of this problem. Health care is expensive and getting more so every day. The health care system is a maze of paperwork and confusing charges that make it impossible for an ordinary family to understand what they have to pay to get the care they need. The United States spends $1.9 trillion a year on care - some $6,280 for every man, woman and child in the country. Health care expenditures are 16 percent of the U.S. economy, well above what any other industrialized nation spends on health care. And these nations make health care available to all their citizens. Yet, when we compare health outcomes-measurements of health such as infant mortality or life expectancy-the U.S. trails these nations.

Skyrocketing health costs jeopardize financial and physical well being - and dreams

Trying to balance the cost of good health against checkbooks causes tremendous problems for millions of Americans.

• 60 percent of small business owners say that the rising costs of health care amount to a "crisis."
• 23 percent of Americans have problems paying medical bills, and millions go bankrupt every year because of medical costs.
• 29 percent of Americans say they skipped treatment, tests, or prescriptions because of costs.
• 46 million Americans are uninsured. Middle class families are the fastest growing segment.
• The average cost of health insurance for an American family now exceeds the yearly income of a minimum wage worker.
• Many Americans may be tied to jobs they dislike or stopped from opening their own businesses because of the excessive cost of health care coverage or preexisting medical conditions that deter them from changing insurance providers.

Health care costs put American industry at a disadvantage

Companies that do the right thing by providing health coverage for their employees face enormous costs. Take General Motors, for example. Health care costs add more than $1,000 to the cost of every vehicle sold. It's cheaper for them to make cars in Canada rather than at home because of these expenses. In fact, more than half of the CEOs of America's largest companies cite rising health care costs as the most significant cost pressure facing their companies. These costs are sapping our nation's competitive strength.

As a result of these high costs, some employers have stopped offering health insurance or require employees to pay more for their health insurance. These rising costs make coverage unaffordable for many people and leave even more with the feeling that they are on the verge of losing their insurance and their peace of mind.

Affordable prescription drugs

Prescription drugs save lives, reduce pain and suffering, and prevent diseases and illnesses from worsening. Yet too many people cannot afford the medications they need, with prescription medicines accounting for the largest share of out-of-pocket medical expenses.

The Medicare prescription drug benefit is a good step toward making drugs affordable, at least for those 65 and older. But it can certainly be made better. And with 47 million uninsured Americans, and many millions more with inadequate prescription drug coverage, more needs to be done.

Imagine an America with affordable, quality health care. Let's work to guide our nation's policymakers to commit to and achieve changes that will restore America's peace of mind.

Share Your Experience

Do you have an experience to share with our nation's leaders to show them why they must work to improve health care? We want to hear from you.