Patients Call for Health and Long-Term Care Coverage for Every American
Families Share Stories, Put a Local Face on a National Crisis
(Columbia, S.C., Nov. 29) — Today local families joined forces with the National Health Council, Alzheimer’s Association and nearly 50 other groups representing patients in an effort to educate candidates about the growing health care crisis in our nation.
This represents the first time that the nation’s leading patient groups have joined forces to support improving coverage for all Americans. A statement, signed by 48 patient group CEOs, calls on the 2008 presidential candidates to propose specific solutions that guarantee effective and affordable health and long-term care coverage for all Americans.
“We’re facing a grave crisis that demands immediate action,” said Steven Taylor, Chief Executive Officer of the Sjögren’s Syndrome Foundation. “Many are at risk, but none more so than the 100 million Americans we represent,” said Taylor, who is also a board member of the National Health Council. “We hope to not only educate candidates, but compel them to act on this vital issue.”
Three families each described how chronic disease and disability affect their lives, the daily challenges they face, and their difficulty in obtaining the health and long-term care coverage they need to survive and thrive.
They are not alone. Chronic diseases are the leading cause of death and disability in South Carolina. According to the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease, nearly 1.5 million residents suffer from one of the five most common chronic diseases and they cost the state $11 billion a year.
For many of these South Carolina residents, obtaining effective health and long-term care coverage is difficult, if not impossible. In addition to those unable to obtain coverage, many residents are underinsured or have reached the lifetime cap, effectively ending the care they can receive.
The National Health Council, founded in 1920, is leading the effort to educate presidential candidates and the media about the importance of ensuring that all Americans have coverage. The Alzheimer’s Association and nearly 50 other patient groups that comprise its membership join it in this effort.
“We can no longer sit on the sidelines and remain quiet when so many of the people we represent are suffering,” Taylor said. “This problem has been brewing for years. Candidates, the media and the public at large must understand that we cannot wait any longer.”
The National Health Council is a nonprofit umbrella organization of 119 national health-related organizations working to bring quality health care to all people. Its core membership includes some 50 of the nation’s leading voluntary health agencies representing about 100 million people with chronic diseases and/or disabilities. Other Council members include professional and membership associations, nonprofits with an interest in health, and major pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. The Council serves as a place for diverse health-related groups to build consensus with a focus on patients and their needs.
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