Healthcare Top Concern in U.S.
According to the Washington Post, a bipartisan group of senators approached President Bush about working on legislation to deal with skyrocketing health care costs. The growing number of uninsured Americans, aging population and rising incidence of chronic illness are driving further increases in health care costs. Businesses are also suffering because global competitors have access to free health care. With about 47 million Americans lacking health care coverage, health care has become a top concern for many Americans. Bush’s National Economic Council agrees that health care needs to be fixed, now.
Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR.) who was leading the group started pushing the Healthy Americans Act proposal two months ago. It intends to guarantee universal private health care coverage with benefits for all Americans equal to those of Members of Congress. Wyden claims the law would constrain costs and work within the current level of healthcare spending thanks to incentives for individuals and insurers focused on prevention, wellness and disease management. The Senator believes his plan would relieve the strain on overcrowded emergency rooms.
February 14, 2007 Related topics: Legal & legislative