|
Congressman Blumenauer believes that the United States health care system is reaching a crisis point. Even though the U.S. spends more than any other nation on healthcare, America’s health outcomes still lag behind less developed countries that spend far less. 47 million Americans are uninsured, nine million of whom are children. In Oregon alone, more than 500,000 individuals lack health insurance.
This is why Congressman Blumenauer is working to provide universal, quality health care for all Americans. Treating the whole person, not just physical ailments, is critical to the comprehensive approach. Early detection of disease and prevention through childhood vaccinations, semi-annual dental cleanings, mammograms, and other routine checks results in healthier citizens as well as long-term cost savings.
Health Care for our Children
Universal Health Care
Wellness and Prevention
Health Care for our Children
Congressman Blumenauer is a firm advocate for children’s health insurance. Good health starts by making sure all kids, from an early age, have access to health care.
Congressman Blumenauer has been working to increase the number of low income children covered by the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). SCHIP currently provides 6.6 million American children with health insurance. It costs less than $3.50 a day to cover a child through SCHIP. Under the proposal Congressman Blumenauer has supported, an additional 3.4 million kids across the country, and 90,000 in Oregon, would have health insurance.
Universal Health Insurance
Congressman Blumenauer is a co-sponsor of the Healthy Americans Act, a bill that would:
• Guarantee private health care coverage for all Americans;
• Provide health benefits equal to those that Members of Congress now enjoy;
• Offer incentives for individuals and insurers to focus on prevention, wellness and disease management;
• Establish tough cost containment measures that would save $1.48 trillion over 10 years; and
• Be fully paid for with the $2.2 trillion currently spent on health care in America today.
Under the Healthy Americans Act, health coverage would be flexible. Individuals could keep the coverage they have as they move from job to job because insurance would no longer be tied to employment. If an individual leaves their job voluntarily, is laid off or develops a serious illness, he or she would continue to be covered under the Health Americans Act.
Universal coverage is just the starting point. In addition to addressing issues of access to care and modernizing the U.S. health care system through information technology, America needs to make systematic changes to how health care is delivered.
Oregon is a model for quality care that is also efficient, but under the current system these accomplishments are neither encouraged nor compensated. The health care system must be restructured to reward efficiency and encourage preventative care so we can achieve the best possible health outcomes. Better coordination of services, along with investing our health care dollars more strategically, will lead to cost savings for our taxpayers and far healthier Americans.
Wellness and Prevention
Congressman Blumenauer recognizes that prevention is essential to keeping people healthy, and policies that support wellness make sense from both a medical and financial standpoint. More than half of America’s adults are overweight, and nearly one-third are obese. In addition to being the second leading cause of unnecessary deaths in the U.S., obesity also carries annual healthcare costs of about $100 billion. Not only are these figures alarming, but they demonstrate that we are witnessing a rapid decline in the overall health of our citizens in epidemic proportions.
Congressman Blumenauer is a longtime advocate of preventive care, which includes providing access to locally grown food that is healthy. He has also worked to offer a variety of transportation options, including incentives to bike to work. Policies regarding natural spaces in residential areas and even guaranteed sick days all have a tremendous impact on our health and well-being.
Congressman Blumenauer has introduced the Bike Commuter Act, which extends transportation benefits similar to those offered for parking and transit, to those who commute by bicycle. He has also introduced the Healthy Foods for Healthy Living Act, which increases access to fresh fruits, vegetables and healthy alternatives in low-income communities in an effort to combat obesity.
|
