Affordable Health Coverage for All Within Seven Years: A Proposal from America's Internists

4/19/2002

From: Jack Pope, 202-261-4556, jpope@acponline.org Carolyn Albert, 202-261-4572, carolyna@acponline.org Jennifer Whalen, 202-261-4575, jennw@acponline.org all of the American College of Physicians -- American Society of Internal Medicine

News Advisory:

WHAT: At a congressional briefing, ACP-ASIM will discuss its plan for providing access to affordable health care to all Americans within seven years and asses other proposals and the prospects for achieving coverage for all by the end of the decade.

WHO: -- Rep. Jim McCrery (R-La.) -- Rep. Jim McDermott, MD (D-Wash) -- Sara E. Walker, MD, MACP, president of the American College of Physicians - American Society of Internal Medicine (ACP-ASIM) -- Robert Doherty, ACP-ASIM senior vice president of governmental affairs and public policy -- Jack Meyer, PhD, founder and president of the Economic and Social Research Institute

WHEN: Thursday, April 25 12-1:30 p.m.

WHERE: Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2168 (Gold Room), Washington, D.C.

Living without health insurance has proven and significant risks. The American College of Physicians - American Society of Internal Medicine has created a seven-year plan that will make affordable health insurance available to all Americans. Under the College plan, the following changes would occur in the American health care system.

-- a subsidized health insurance program would be available to all who lack another form of coverage; -- all insurance plans would be required to offer a standard basic package of benefits including preventive services; -- health plans would be required to agree to uniform new federal rules on risk rating and renewability as a condition of participating in the program; -- purchasing groups would give individuals the collective buying power that is now available only to large groups.

The American College of Physicians - American Society of Internal Medicine is the nation's largest medical specialty organization and the second largest physician group. Membership comprises more than 115,000 internal medicine physicians and medical students.