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Resolutions passed at National Convention September 2006
RESOLUTION ON NATIONAL UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE
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RESOLUTION ON NATIONAL UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE Florida Alliance for Retired Americans
The reform of our health care system is a matter of great urgency. In 2004, 45.5 million Americans lacked health care insurance. We believe that our government has a fundamental responsibility to ensure that all Americans have access to health care. The high cost of health care has created a crisis which we believe must be resolved by government to protect the health of its citizens, to reduce costs to business and industry, and to enhance U.S. competitiveness in the world economy.
· Among the 30 industrialized nations, only the United States does not have universal health care. Germany established universal coverage in 1883, Switzerland in 1911, New Zealand in 1938 and Belgium in 1945. Twenty-eight of the 29 national universal health care programs are single-payer systems.
· A single payer system would sharply reduce administrative costs in the United States to expand coverage, increase benefits, and still save money.
· Studies have found that citizens of countries with universal health care have more physician visits and hospital days than in the United States.
· In January 2004, the Institute of Medicine issued a report calling for universal health care coverage in the United States. The Institute recommended that health care coverage be universal, continuous, affordable to individuals and families, and affordable and sustainable for society. In addition, it would enhance health and well-being by promoting access to high-quality care that is effective, efficient, safe, timely, patient-centered, and equitable.
Be is resolved that we call upon our congressional delegation to support universal health care legislation such as HR 676 and HR 5886.
· HR 676 would expand the Medicare program to make health care available to all Americans. Every American would be entitled to receive physician and hospital care, long-term care, prescription drugs, dental care, medical equipment, substance abuse treatment, and vision care.
· HR 5886 would also ensure that everyone has simple, affordable, reliable health insurance. U.S. residents would continue to obtain coverage through their employer or they would be covered under a new AmeriCare program. All persons would be eligible for the following benefits: preventive services, physician services, hospital services, maternity coverage, prescription medications, mental health services, affordable cost sharing and a realistic limit on ont-of pocket expenses. AmeriCare improves Medicare benefits by streamlining cost-sharing and lowering drug prices without a donut hole.
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RESOLUTION ON REDUCING HEALTH CARE FRAUD Florida Alliance for Retired Americans
Health care fraud burdens the nation with enormous financial costs, while threatening the quality of health care. Health care fraud siphons billions of dollars from public and private health insurance programs. The greatest damage is done by providers of health care. Estimates of health care fraud vary and range from 3% of all health care expenditures to 10%. The National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association reports estimates by law enforcement and other government entities that fraud comprises up to 10% of all health care expenditures.
In 2004, total national health expenditures rose 7.9 percent -- over three times the rate of inflation. Total spending was $1.9 trillion, or $6,280 per person, and represented 16% of the gross domestic product. If health care fraud comprises 6.5% of total health spending – 6.5% is midway between the 3% and 10% estimates – then $123.5 billion was lost to fraud in 2004, representing $408 for every American.
Health care fraud not only unnecessarily increases health care costs, which are already unaffordable to many Americans, but may result in the denial of necessary services that may then pose a direct threat to a persons’ health. In addition, if patients’ diagnoses or treatment history is falsified in their medical record, this can result in improper care in the future. The most common forms of health care fraud are:
· Billing for services that were never provided.
· “Up Coding” -- billing for more expensive services than were provided.
· Performing medically unnecessary services for the sole purpose of billing.
· Misrepresenting non-covered services as covered services.
Be is resolved that we call upon by the Florida Legislature and Congress to aggressively reduce health care fraud by:
· Creating sufficient numbers of specialized health care fraud investigation and prosecution units to timely investigate and prosecute health care fraud.
· Undertaking a review of criminal penalties to ensure that they are sufficient to deter health care fraud.
· Requiring that all private and public health insurance plans have internal fraud detection programs that meet nationally recognized standards.
· Revising health facility and health professional licensing laws to require the reporting of health care fraud to law enforcement. Failure to report fraud would be a cause for fines in the case of a health facility or professional discipline in the case of a health care professional.
· Establishing a telephone (800) fraud hotline.
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RESOLUTION ON HEALTH CARE PRICE TRANSPARENCY Florida Alliance for Retired Americans
Health care prices are generally not available to the public. There is a strong tradition of secrecy regarding price information. Health care providers have little incentive to disclose prices because health care services are so lucrative. As a result, there is little price competition in health care. If health care prices were readily available, price competition would likely result in lower prices. Health care is the only industry that people buy services without price information.
· Rising health care costs and rising numbers of persons without health insurance reduce access to health care services.
· According to 2004 Census Bureau estimates, there were 3.2 million non-elderly persons without health insurance in Florida. Almost 40%, or 1.2 million, had incomes at least two times the poverty level.
· Knowing health care prices in advance is important to the uninsured who must pay for care themselves, go without care or seek charity care.
· The availability of health care prices is also important to persons who obtain services not covered by insurance and to those with high deductibles.
· Price transparency may reduce the widespread practice of charging the uninsured more than others.
· Making prices available on the internet has become a standard business practice. Health care providers should be required to post prices if they do not do so voluntarily. The benefits to consumers would be substantially outweighed by the modest costs incurred by health care providers.
Be is resolved that we call upon by the Florida Legislature and Congress to enact law requiring all prices charged for health care services to be readily available to the public.
· Every health care facility, health care provider, health insurer, diagnostic imaging center, clinical laboratory, home health agency, physical rehabilitation center, home medical equipment provider, and pharmacy should be required to make available to consumers the prices that they charge for the services and products they provide. Prices should be available on the internet in an easily navigable manner and also readily available upon request.
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RESOLUTION ON ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORDS Florida Alliance for Retired Americans
Electronic medical records, as part of a secure national network of health information that is accessible by patients and health care providers, will improve health care quality and efficiency, reduce medical errors and constrain administrative and other health care costs. Electronic medical records are supported by the Institute of Medicine and by other national organizations concerned with health care quality.
· A secure platform for the exchange of electronic medical records among providers would improve patient care. All health care providers and would have access to all a patient’s medical history including medications, diagnostic tests, and the diagnoses and recommendations of each provider the patient has seen.
· The routine use of electronic health records would give health care providers and patients immediate access to complete patient information as well as tools to guide decision-making and help prevent errors.
· Medication errors are among the most common medical errors, harming at least 1.5 million people every year. Electronic prescribing is safer because it eliminates problems with handwriting legibility and, when combined with decision-support tools, automatically alerts prescribers to possible interactions, allergies, and other potential problems.
The Florida Legislature is providing funding to seven local organizations to develop electronic health information exchange systems. In Congress, both the Senate and House have passed bills to facilitate the creation of a national electronic medical records network.
Be is resolved that we call upon by the Florida Legislature and Congress to take action to foster use of electronic medical records.
· We call upon the Florida Legislature to increase funding for the Florida Health Information Network Grant Program so that all of Florida’s communities will be included in regional electronic medical record networks.
· We call upon Congress to enact legislation fostering the creation of a nationwide electronic medical record system. Both the House and Senate have passed bills; H.R. 4157 by Rep. Nancy Johnson and S. 1418 by Senator Michael Enzi. It is important that the two chambers agree on a final bill that directs the federal government to develop standards so that all local networks will be compatible with other networks and that a national system be in place by a certain date.
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