Durbin's Goal: Cover the Uninsured by 2010

DURBIN'S GOAL: COVER THE UNINSURED BY 2010

The United States is facing an escalating health care crisis that requires immediate attention," U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said at a news conference that includes stops in Bloomington-Normal, Peoria, Wheaton, Chicago and Rolling Meadows. Durbin proposed a series of legislative solutions involving the public and private sectors and set a goal to cover America's uninsured by 2010.

Last Friday, Durbin introduced a Congressional Resolution in the Senate calling on Congress to enact legislation ensuring that all Americans have access to affordable, quality health insurance by 2010, regardless of their age, income, employment, or health.

"Health care costs have been growing at double digit rates for the past four years. A recent study by the Gilead Outreach and Referral Center shows that in Illinois today, 1.8 million people do not have health insurance. That's a substantial increase from a year or two ago."

According to the study, 530,255 people downstate, 495,251 people in chicago and 776,333 people in the suburbs do not have health insurance.

"The lack of health insurance can begin a negative cycle for low income and middle class families alike, often ending with serious medical or financial problems. As more and more Illinois residents lose access to health insurance, they're less likely to seek preventative medical care and diseases are often diagnosed at a more advanced stage. Because of skyrocketing health care costs, many families are just one serious illness away from bankruptcy. In fact, medical bills are a primary factor in half of all bankruptcies today.

Durbin said his legislative solution would include lowering prescription drug costs and administrative expenses, as well as assuring high quality health care by promoting the utilization of information technology, reducing medical errors and providing for care coordination, among other ideas.

"Contrary to popular belief, most of the people in Illinois who don't have insurance work full time and nearly half of those people work for small businesses -- companies with less than 100 workers."

Small business owners list health insurance for employees as a major obstacle to their growth, just as their big business counterparts do. Durbin has also introduced a legislative proposal to make health care more affordable for small businesses by allowing them to join the federal program, thereby creating a larger risk pool.

"Our time and energy would be well spent securing health insurance for all Americans before the end of the decade."

Health Insurance Crisis Statistics (Included in S. Con. Res. 30)

• The number of Americans without health insurance has increased steadily over the past decade from 37,000,000 to 45,000,000 • 7 in 10 people without health insurance live in families where at least one person works full-time; • 20 percent of uninsured Americans are children • The percentage of private-sector employers offering health benefits to retirees has declined by more than 40 percent since 1997 to just 13 percent in 2002 • Uninsured Americans receive less preventive care and are diagnosed at a more advanced stage of disease than Americans with health insurance • Uninsured adults have mortality rates approximately 25 percent higher than those of privately insured adults • Whereas the financial consequences of uninsurance can be disastrous for families, as demonstrated by a recent study that found medical problems were a factor in nearly half of all personal bankruptcy filings • The increase in average health insurance costs since 2000 was five times the increase in average worker wages • The total cost of job-based health insurance has risen 72 percent in the past 5 years • Rising health insurance costs undermine United States competitiveness in the global market. Despite spending the most per capita on health care ($4,887 compared to Germany which is the next highest at $2,808), the United States ranks 12th out of 13 industrialized nations in 16 top health indicators such as infant mortality

http://durbin.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=237216&&