Making the Case for Health Insurance Reform

The Nurses’ Perspective

ANA: On the Frontlines of Health Insurance Reform

In Nurses’ Own Words…

“It is incomprehensible to me that in the United States there are two standards of care – one for those with comprehensive health insurance coverage, and another for those who are under insured or lack insurance.” – Keisha Walker, RN, MSN

Senior Research Nurse, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD

“I have patients every day who must decide whether to purchase medications or eat.” -- Linda McIntosh, RN, MSN, APNFamily Nurse Practitioner, Des Arc, AR

In Nurses’ Own Words…

ANA’s Belief

Quality, affordable health care is not a privilege, but a basic

human right.

Goals of Health Insurance Reform

• Bring Stability and Improved Care to Americans by offering new consumer protections

• Reduce Costs to make health care affordable• Protect a Patient’s Choice of Providers, hospitals

and insurance plans• Assure Quality, Affordable Health Care for all

patients

Today’s Current System

• Under current system, around half of all Americans under 65 will lose their health coverage at some point over the next ten years.**

• In the last 12 months, six million more Americans lost their health insurance. *

• Harvard researchers found that 62% of all U.S. personal bankruptcies were caused by health problems – 78% of those had insurance.

Top Reasons to Support Health Care Reform

• Ends Discrimination for Pre-existing Conditions

• Ends Exorbitant Out-of-Pocket Expenses,

Deductibles or Co-pays

• Ends Cost-Sharing for Preventive Care

• Ends Dropping of Coverage for Seriously Ill.

Top Reasons for Health Care Reform (con’td.)

• Ends Gender Discrimination.

• Ends Annual or Lifetime Caps on Coverage

• Extends Coverage for Young Adults

• Guarantees Insurance Renewal.

Why ANA Supports Public Plan Option

• Broader choice for patients• Increase affordability• Foster marketplace competition • Ensure access to services.

Health Insurance Reform and Nursing Workforce:

Coverage does not equal access.

The supply of nurses must be sufficient in order for health insurance reform to be successful.

Take Action Now!

www.RNaction.org /healthcare Join ANA’s Health Care Reform Team

Share Your Story

Write Your Member of Congress

Health Care Reform Toolkit

o Myth vs. Fact of HCR Legislation

o Reasons to Support HCR

o Status of HCR Legislation in Congress

www.RNaction.org/Healthcare

Take Action Now!

• Media Outreach: Make your voices heard -- Visit ANA*Net for health care reform press release template, pitch letter and media tips.

• Contact ANA’s CMA Media Relations Helpdesk at (301) 628-5038 for help.

Nurses Make A Difference…

“Do your part -- nurses, you guys have a lot of credibility; you touch a lot of people's lives; people trust you -- if you're

out there saying it's time for us to act…America will finally join the ranks of every other advanced nation by providing quality, affordable

health insurance to all of its citizens.”

-- President Barack Obama , addressing nurses after being introduced by ANA’s President Patton, September 10, 2009