April 29, 2005

Affordable, Accessible Health Care is the
Backbone of the Good Life  

WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Deborah Pryce (R-Upper Arlington) today released the following letter to the editor:

Benjamin Disraeli, Prime Minister of Britain in the late 1800s, once said that “the health of the people is really the foundation upon which all their happiness and all their powers as a state depend.” 

Good health quite simply is the backbone of everything in life.  When we have our health, we can do almost anything.  We can be active, we can work hard, we can take care of our families, and we can live our lives fully.  When our health or the health of a loved one takes a turn for the worse, our lives can come to a grinding halt.  Whether it’s a diagnosis of cancer, heart disease, or mental illness, we all want the best care we possibly can for ourselves and our loved ones to get better. 

With health care costs on the rise, access to affordable health insurance is one of the most important issues facing Ohioans today.  That’s why President Bush and Congress have been working hard to tackle this challenging issue by crafting and passing innovative solutions.  One such initiative is a new tool called Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) that is now giving Americans an incentive to start planning for their future medical costs.

Through HSAs, workers under the age of 65 can accumulate tax-free savings for lifetime health care needs.  Pre-tax contributions can be made by individuals, their employers and family members.  The individual owns the account so he or she can take the savings from job to job and into retirement.  Upon death, HSA ownership may be transferred to the spouse on a tax-free basis.  HSAs are encouraging individuals to buy health plans that better suit their needs so that insurance kicks in only when it is truly needed. 

As well, in the last year, the House has passed a Health Security Initiative.  Rolling three bills into one, this package would reform the medical liability system in the U.S., control health costs for businesses and employees, and provide employees with more flexibility in their health care spending.  We’re working to re-energize efforts to enact this critical measure this year. 

While we continue to seek out ways to make health insurance more affordable for individuals and employers, it is equally important to address a reality inherent in the health care system that has emerged as a significant barrier to accessing health care.  That is its complexity.

Navigating the health system can be an insurmountable barrier for many people, especially those who are uninsured or underinsured. To address these challenges, I introduced bipartisan legislation in the House last week called the Patient Navigator, Outreach, and Chronic Disease Prevention Act.  This bill will launch public/private partnerships in communities in Ohio and across the country to help patients overcome barriers in the health care system.  The bill will provide funds to facilities such as community health centers to hire “patient navigators.”

These navigators are expert problem solvers who assist people who come through their doors with obtaining coverage through Medicaid or other sources, obtaining cancer screenings or counseling about disease prevention, or making referrals for treatment should an abnormality be detected.  For people who may otherwise not know how or be able to access health care services, patient navigator programs offer them the tools and resources they need to make good decisions about their health and the health of their children.  They help break through the red tape that often prevents them from even getting the information they need to find a doctor or get treated.  When it seems like no other options exist, patient navigators keep working until they find a solution. The Ohio division of the American Cancer Society launched the patient navigator concept four years ago in Ohio and currently has 14 patient navigators serving 63 counties in our state. 

Good things are happening to improve access to health care in Ohio and across the country.  But, much more needs to be done.  One thing we can agree on is that we need to keep our efforts going strong, because good health quite simply is the backbone of everything in life.