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Although most Americans have some type of health insurance coverage, usually employer-sponsored, the most recent government statistics (2007) show 46 million people, including 9 million children are uninsured in the United States.
Each year, more and more hard-working families join the ranks of the uninsured.
Health care reform regarding coverage should seek to:
- Ensure coverage for all;
- Strengthen public safety-net programs for low-income families;
- Make private health coverage more affordable; and
- Provide fair and adequate reimbursement for care.
In order to accomplish this, leaders from widely diverse organizations participating in a process called Health Reform Dialogue, have identified specific ideas for reform concerning the expansion of health care coverage, which are listed below:
- Improve Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) outreach and enrollment;
- Establish a nationwide floor for Medicaid eligibility for all adults no lower than 100 percent of the federal poverty level;
- Restore legal immigrant’s eligibility for Medicaid coverage to mirror CHIP;
- Provide additional assistance for out-of-pocket costs for low-income people and families;
- Provide subsidies for small businesses to provide health insurance for their employees; and
- Provide a fair and transparent marketplace for purchasing insurance regardless of health status, age, or other factors.