Health Plans Return To Airwaves In Support Of Bipartisan Reform

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 21 Jul 2009 - 3:00 PDT

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Health plans launched a new national television advertising campaign in support of bipartisan health care reform.

The first health care reform ad from America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), "Illness", calls for fixing health care to make sure all Americans have the health and financial security that health insurance provides.

"Illness doesn't care where you live…or if you're already sick...or if you lose your job. Your health insurance shouldn't either," the ad says.

The ad highlights key policy reforms that health plans have proposed, which include new market rules and consumer protections to achieve universal coverage, guarantee coverage for pre-existing conditions, discontinue rating based on health status or gender, and ensure continuity of care and portability of coverage.

"If everyone's covered, we can make health care as affordable as possible. And the words 'pre-existing condition' become a thing of the past…" the ad says.

"Illness" addresses issues that were raised by the American people during the nationwide listening tour AHIP conducted last year.

"One year ago, we began a conversation with the American people. Health plans have stepped up and responded to what we heard across the country. Last December, we proposed reforms that would cover all Americans, guarantee coverage for pre-existing conditions, and bend the health care cost curve," said AHIP President and CEO Karen Ignagni.

The reforms highlighted in the ad provide a workable framework on which policymakers can build without creating a government-run plan that would disrupt the quality coverage Americans currently have and want to keep.

The ad begins running today on national cable television.

To view "Illness", read the script, and learn more, please visit: http://www.AmericanHealthSolution.org.

Source
AHIP

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