State Healthcare Coverage May Aid in Creating a National Plan

A feeling of excitement was felt on Capitol Hill in one of the first hearings, conducted after the inauguration of President Barack Obama. On Thursday January 22, 2009, the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions committee held a hearing to examine measures states are enacting to keep their citizens healthy.

According to Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, the chairman of the committee, 38% of deaths related to chronic illness among Americans arise from alcohol use, smoking, physical inactivity and poor diet. In addition, 75% of health care costs associated with chronic disease are preventable. State Senator of Iowa, Jack Hatch, stressed the importance of preventative healthcare measures. He mentioned that Iowa should lead prevention and wellness initiatives by enabling doctors to use efficient practices and administer proper protocols necessary to treat chronic illnesses. Health care costs are continuing to rise making it necessary for people to receive proper health education, so they can make better lifestyle choices to improve health and contain costs. The state of Iowa has enacted preventative healthcare measures as a means of reform. Some include: 1. By 2011, the state is expected to provide healthcare coverage for all eligible children 2. Iowa has strengthened its public health and prevention programs by launching the healthy communities initiative, enabling small businesses to receive a qualified wellness tax credit.

Mr. Emmet spoke about our country’s failure to treat mental illness. He revealed mental illness is a major cause of disability, yet many insurance services do not provide coverage for mental health visits.

Dr. Dobson stressed the need for community healthcare services. He revealed quality of healthcare can be enhanced and the cost of healthcare can be reduced by providing people with primary care, creating local networks to gather resources and providing state funding for healthcare related programs. State healthcare systems need to be sustained in order to enable one to have access to care and be treated efficiently.

Dr. Bigby spoke about the importance of prevention. She mentioned the 2006 Massachusetts health care reform bill designed to provide the citizens of the commonwealth with universal coverage. 97.4% of Massachusetts residents contain healthcare coverage, 99% of kids contain coverage and 90% of residents have regular healthcare providers and thus receive preventative care. In addition, Dr. Bigby spoke about “Mass in Motion,” a program designed to promote healthy eating and exercise through grants to cities and towns in hopes of making wellness a priority. She also addressed the need to remedy the racial and ethic disparity prevalent in who receives healthcare coverage.

The experts at this hearing were in agreement that access to and quality of healthcare needs to be augmented. In order for people to live healthier lives, they say diet and exercise programs, as well as preventative and routine healthcare services need to be provided to the people of our nation.