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The AAP supports comprehensive health care reform for all Americans. Any health care reform efforts should include the following key principles for children:
* Guaranteed access to health care
* A comprehensive benefits package, including immunization coverage
* Coverage for preexisting conditions
* Strong emphasis on preventive and primary care
There are approximately 12.2 million uninsured children in the United States:
* 56% of uninsured children have at least 1 parent who works full time
* 31% of uninsured children live in families where 1 parent works at least seasonally or part time
* 13% of uninsured children live in households where neither parent works
* In a recent poll, 29% of Americans reported that they or a family member were without health insurance some time in the last year. 20% reported being hurt seriously by medical bills.
* 65% of uninsured children live in families whose income is above the federal poverty line ($14,000 for a family of four).
* Benefits should meet the unique health care needs of children... children are not "little adults."
* A 1-tier system of health care must be established in this country... Medicaid has perpetuated a 2-tiered system... There can be no second class care in this country.
* Preventive care, the core of pediatric medicine, currently is poorly covered by many insurance companies, despite the cost-effectiveness and medical efficacy. * The United States ranks 22nd in the world in infant mortality. The absence of universal access to medical care is a leading contributing factor.
For every dollar we spend on health care, we spend:
* 33c on adults aged 65 and older
* 53c on adults 19 to 64-years-old
* 14c on children birth to age 18
* In 1991, average health care expenses consumed 11.7% of family income
* The bottom line is that keeping children well and preventing illness makes sense. Morally, economically, medically-it's the right thing to do.
Created: Sunday, December 31, 1995 - 1:11:06 PM Last Updated 12/23/97
