WASHINGTON,Feb. 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Karen Ignagni, President and CEO of America's Health Insurance Plans, issued the following statement today in response to the President's budget:
"Today's budget submission sends a signal to the American people that this Administration is serious about prioritizing health care. We applaud the President for laying out a bold framework and setting aside significant resources to put our nation on a path towards comprehensive health care reform, which is a goal that has eluded our country for more than a century.
"We have strongly supported recent efforts by the Administration and Congress to strengthen the health care safety net, expand coverage for kids, conduct comparative effectiveness research and invest in health information technology. Our Board of Directors has offered a comprehensive proposal that starts with us playing a leadership role in advocating for market reforms and addresses the core issues of cost, access and quality. Health plans will continue to be constructive participants in the health care reform discussion. We recognize that to achieve reform of this magnitude, every stakeholder group will be expected to contribute and will be challenged to innovate, perform better and be held accountable for results.
"As policymakers evaluate the entire Medicare program, including Medicare Advantage, as part of health care reform, it is vital that seniors continue to have access to the benefits and services they rely on. Medicare Advantage plans provide care coordination, disease management and prevention programs for seniors and reward clinicians for delivering quality care to patients. Unfortunately, this proposal would force seniors enrolled in Medicare Advantage to fund a disproportionate share of the costs to reform the health care system. A cut of this scale would jeopardize the health security of more than ten million seniors enrolled in Medicare Advantage and would turn back the clock on innovative payment incentives to improve the quality of care that patients receive.
"All stakeholders must rise to the challenge the President has put forth to develop a uniquely American solution that gets everyone covered, restrains health care cost growth and aligns patient care with medical best practices. We are committed to doing our share to achieve this goal and will work closely with other stakeholders."
America's Health Insurance Plans -- Providing Health Benefits to More Than 200 Million Americans
