Obama Releases State-by-state Health Reform Benefits
As Congress approaches its August recess and the rhetoric at town hall meetings across the nation heats up, the Department of Health and Human Services released some statistics Friday about how they estimate health reform will benefit each state as part of an effort likely aimed at reframing the argument and winning back some lost ground in the debate.
Here are some predictions they make for Georgia:
- By ending the hidden premium tax for families, 147 Georgia hospitals and 23,489 doctors could “better care for their patients.
- Between 1,399,600 to 1,575,900 middle class Georgia residents could receive “premium credits” to offset the high cost of current premiums.
- An additional 97,000 Georgians could get health insurance through their employer and reform “will also ensure that you will always have guaranteed choices of quality, affordable health insurance if you lose your job, switch jobs, move or get sick.”
- HHS wants to prevent insurance companies from denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions and charge more if you are sick or a woman.
Read more about how Georgia could benefit.
HHS also provides several reasons why the health care system needs reform:
- In Georgia, 18 percent of people have no insurance and of this group, 70 percent are families with at least one full-time worker.
- WellPoint Inc. constitutes 61 percent of the health insurance market share in Georgia, with the top two insurance providers accounting for 69 percent.
- Only 34 percent of small businesses offered health insurance to employees in 2006 (down 5 percent since 2000) even though small businesses account for 73 percent of Georgia businesses.
- Georgia’s overall quality of care is rated as “weak.”
Emory University will host a town hall forum on healthcare on Saturday Aug. 15. The event will take place at White Hall, Room 208, and is free and open to the public. It starts at 4 p.m. and Jane Kidd, chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia, will moderate.