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Plight of Uninsured a Burden for All Ohioans
COLUMBUSAfter today’s primary elections, Ohio’s gubernatorial candidates may be charged with solving one of the nation’s largest problems - caring for the uninsured. The federal government estimates that 45 million Americans lack health insurance and 1.3 million of those are Ohioans. This issue is not just a risk to the uninsured; it dramatically impacts insured Ohioans as well. Cover the Uninsured Week 2006 is this week, May 1-7. Thousands of activities are taking place nationwide to tell Congress and policy makers around the country that health coverage for Americans must be a top priority. A resolution for this issue is significant for all Americans, whether insured or uninsured. The National Association of Community Health Centers found that $18 billion is inappropriately spent annually across the country on emergency room visits for non-emergency conditions, and Ohio ranks third highest in the U.S. with nearly $1 billion of that total. In addition, care provided for free to uninsured patients drives up the cost of health care for all Ohioans, simply shifting the cost of that care to other payers. Higher health care costs yield higher insurance premiums – a financial burden that has little effect on the uninsured population, but a major impact on insured Ohioans. In 2005, employer health insurance premiums increased by 9.2 percent and are only rising from there. Monetary issues are not the only problem. Approximately 1.1 million Ohioans are without access to primary care physicians, which leads to extended emergency room wait times for patients with legitimate emergencies. Health care is an obvious obstacle to those Americans who are uninsured, but statistics show the true risks they face. The Institute of Medicine estimates that 18,000 Americans die each year because they don’t have health coverage. People without insurance are also less likely to receive preventive care and are hospitalized for conditions that could have been avoided or treated in a more cost-effective setting before leading to a painful and expensive illness. Cover the Uninsured Week is designed to raise awareness that too many Americans are without health insurance―gambling with their lives every day. This year’s events will include press conferences, business summits, health and enrollment fairs, small business seminars, campus seminars and interfaith activities. The campaign will also work to ensure that people who are uninsured enroll if they are eligible for public coverage programs. For an outline of all Ohio events visit http://covertheuninsured.org/events/?StateID=OH. For more information on getting involved with Cover the Uninsured Week visit http://covertheuninsured.org/. The Ohio Hospital Association was established in 1915 and currently represents 170 hospitals and 40 health systems throughout Ohio. OHA is a membership-driven organization that provides proactive leadership to create an environment in which Ohio hospitals are successful in serving their communities. Visit OHA’s Web site at www.ohanet.org. For information on top health care issues, visit the online OHA News Media Center at www.ohanet.org/media/. ###
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