AAFP Statement: AAFP Applauds IOM Report on the Uninsured, Offers Plan to Solve the Problem

Statement attributable to
Michael Fleming, M.D., FAAFP
President, AAFP

WASHINGTON---"America's family physicians applaud the Institute of Medicine's Committee on the Consequences of Uninsurance for its research and publication of important information on the devastating consequences of people living without health insurance.

"The IOM research shows us the societal consequences of having so many people living without health insurance and without adequate health care. With the number of the uninsured in the United States now at more than 43 million, the time has come to take action. The AAFP established a task force five years ago to study how to assure health care coverage for all people in the United States. The resulting plan meets the IOM's five guiding principles for proposed solutions. Included in the AAFP plan:
Basic benefits package: The AAFP plan would provide the health care services most likely to be used by most people and services that should be used by all people to prevent illness and disease. For example: immunizations, annual cholesterol tests, treatment for chronic conditions, Pap smears and mammograms, etc.
Catastrophic benefits: The AAFP plan would provide protection for everyone against extraordinary medical costs such as heart attack, organ transplant, cancer treatment and birth complications.
Personal responsibility: Under the AAFP plan, individuals could purchase additional insurance beyond basic coverage and below the threshold for catastrophic protection based on their individual needs and risk factors.
Funding: The AAFP plan would be funded through a national, broad-based taxing mechanism: everyone benefits and everyone shares the expense.
"Family physicians treat many of the uninsured, often providing discounted or free services. We see firsthand the personal and societal consequences of life without health care coverage. As part of the health care safety net, family physicians need to be part of the solution. We have a plan to assure health care coverage for all and we will continue to address the needs of the uninsured with our elected leaders as we continue to care for our patients. We again thank the IOM for its excellent work in helping our country try to meet the needs of our many neighbors who live without health care coverage."


Note: The AAFP's plan to assure health care coverage for all is available online at http://www.aafp.org/x13722.xml. To interview a family physician about covering the uninsured, please call Leslie Champlin at (800) 274-2237, Ext. 5224.