Nebraska groups push for universal health care
In the “try, try again” division of effort, Nebraska Appleseed along with other groups on Tuesday launched Nebraska’s version of a new push to get universal health care in America.
“Today in Lincoln and in 52 other cities and state capitols across the country … men and women are coming together to say that this is the year America decides,” said Jennifer Carter, director of Nebraska Appleseed’s health care access program.
Nebraskans are like others across the country at the mercy of private health insurance companies that are charging more, giving less and putting profits before the health of people, Carter said.
Pediatrician Stacie Bleicher said a broken health care finance system is affecting the wellness of average Nebraskans.
Every day in her practice she hears families talking about increasing costs and lack of availability of health insurance. They have higher and higher deductibles that are hard to meet, increasing co-payments and significant restrictions on what is covered.
“I see children that are denied health care coverage altogether because of prior resolved health issues,” she said.
Some children who have had seizures in the past but are now determined to be seizure-free, for example, are denied coverage because the word seizure appeared in their records, she said.
Bleicher said families are delaying care because of out-of-pocket costs they can’t pay on top of premium expenses. They are reliant on free medication samples that are getting more scarce, or they are not taking needed medications for chronic problems such as asthma or uncontrolled seizures and are making more frequent emergency room visits.
Bleicher would support insurance plans that protect a person’s ability to get health insurance if there is a current or preexisting medical condition, and that allow people to have a medical “home” where they are known.
The campaign, known as Health Care for America Now, is supported in Nebraska by unions, the Center for People in Need, the Nebraska chapter of the National Association of Social Workers and Voices for Children in Nebraska.
Small businesses also support the campaign.
Rick Poore, who has a screen printing company that employs 24, said every year he makes changes in the health insurance he offers employees, to make it more affordable.
But no matter what he does, costs go up and benefits go down.
“We’re way past the point of throwing a new coat of paint on this and calling it reform,” he said.
Carter said the campaign and the 95 mostly liberal groups it brings together is unprecedented in the history of health care reform efforts. National and local groups represent labor, community organizations, doctors, nurses, women, small businesses, faith-based organizations, people of color, and think tanks.
It plans to spend $40 million on advertising, e-mail blasts and promotion of the ideals of health care changes and force discussion of the issue.
Ads started running Tuesday on CNN and MSNBC, and they are planned to run in every Congressional district, Carter said.
The campaign is not offering a particular health reform proposal, but rather principles the groups would like to see.
“The campaign’s general principles believe families, employers and the government all have a shared responsibility to help pay for the cost,” Carter said.
Reach JoAnne Young at 473-7228 or jyoung@journalstar.com.
“Today in Lincoln and in 52 other cities and state capitols across the country … men and women are coming together to say that this is the year America decides,” said Jennifer Carter, director of Nebraska Appleseed’s health care access program.
Nebraskans are like others across the country at the mercy of private health insurance companies that are charging more, giving less and putting profits before the health of people, Carter said.
Pediatrician Stacie Bleicher said a broken health care finance system is affecting the wellness of average Nebraskans.
Every day in her practice she hears families talking about increasing costs and lack of availability of health insurance. They have higher and higher deductibles that are hard to meet, increasing co-payments and significant restrictions on what is covered.
“I see children that are denied health care coverage altogether because of prior resolved health issues,” she said.
Some children who have had seizures in the past but are now determined to be seizure-free, for example, are denied coverage because the word seizure appeared in their records, she said.
Bleicher said families are delaying care because of out-of-pocket costs they can’t pay on top of premium expenses. They are reliant on free medication samples that are getting more scarce, or they are not taking needed medications for chronic problems such as asthma or uncontrolled seizures and are making more frequent emergency room visits.
Bleicher would support insurance plans that protect a person’s ability to get health insurance if there is a current or preexisting medical condition, and that allow people to have a medical “home” where they are known.
The campaign, known as Health Care for America Now, is supported in Nebraska by unions, the Center for People in Need, the Nebraska chapter of the National Association of Social Workers and Voices for Children in Nebraska.
Small businesses also support the campaign.
Rick Poore, who has a screen printing company that employs 24, said every year he makes changes in the health insurance he offers employees, to make it more affordable.
But no matter what he does, costs go up and benefits go down.
“We’re way past the point of throwing a new coat of paint on this and calling it reform,” he said.
Carter said the campaign and the 95 mostly liberal groups it brings together is unprecedented in the history of health care reform efforts. National and local groups represent labor, community organizations, doctors, nurses, women, small businesses, faith-based organizations, people of color, and think tanks.
It plans to spend $40 million on advertising, e-mail blasts and promotion of the ideals of health care changes and force discussion of the issue.
Ads started running Tuesday on CNN and MSNBC, and they are planned to run in every Congressional district, Carter said.
The campaign is not offering a particular health reform proposal, but rather principles the groups would like to see.
“The campaign’s general principles believe families, employers and the government all have a shared responsibility to help pay for the cost,” Carter said.
Reach JoAnne Young at 473-7228 or jyoung@journalstar.com.
Copyright © 2002-2008 Lincoln Journal Star. All rights reserved.