The Facts

Quality health care that once seemed reliable is quickly being priced out of reach for millions of hardworking, taxpaying Americans. The health care crisis affects us all regardless of age, race or employment.
Nearly 47 million Americans are uninsured. That's over 15 percent of the population.

And that number doesn't even scratch the surface of the number of Americans who are underinsured in this country.

In Iowa:

• 241,000 Iowans don't have health insurance.
• 31% of Hispanic people are uninsured.
• 9% of white people are uninsured.
• 12% of women are uninsured.
• Kids up to 200% of the federal poverty level are eligible for health coverage in Iowa.
• The price of health care for the uninsured increased health insurance premiums for individual private employer coverage by $200 in 2005. If nothing changes, in 2010, the increase in price will be $340.

Glossary of Terms

COBRA

The Consolidation Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) allows unemployed workers from companies with 20 or more employees to continue to receive their employer’s insurance benefits for up to 18 months, if the employee pays the full cost of the coverage.

Coverage

A person has coverage if all or part of his/her health care costs is paid for.

Electronic Medical Records

Storing a patient’s medical history electronically, instead of on paper. This conversion is widely supported for its ability to cut costs and reduce the occurrence of medical errors.

Federal Employee Health Benefit Plan (FEHBP)

FEHBP is the health insurance available to active federal employees. Each year, federal workers can chose from a large selection of plans that offer varying degrees of coverage. The employer (the federal government) pays an average of 72% of the total cost of the plan, the employee pays the remainder. FEHBP is often cited as being the standard of care needed in any universal health reform to protect against inadequate coverage.

Health Care

Health Care is the prevention, treatment, and management of illness and the preservation of mental and physical well being through the services offered by health care professionals.

Health Savings Accounts

Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) offer tax benefits for people who purchase high-deductible health insurance policies (HDHPs). To qualify for HSA tax savings, the policy must include a minimum deductible of $1,100 for an individual or $2,200 for a family. People with HSAs may also have to pay other out of pocket costs or even higher deductibles for coverage.

Medicaid

Medicaid is a state administered program that was created in 1965 and now provides health coverage to nearly 60 million low-income children, pregnant women, seniors, and people with disabilities. In some states, Medicaid also provides health coverage to some, but not all, low-income adults. Costs are shared by the state and federal government.

Medical Home

A Medical Home is an approach to providing comprehensive primary care. In a Medical Home, a health care professional works in close partnership with the family/patient to assure that medical and non-medical health care needs of a patient are met.

Medicare

Medicare is the federal program created in 1965 that provides health benefits to more than 44 million seniors over age 65.

Pre-existing Condition

A medical condition a person develops before applying for a particular health insurance policy that could prevent the person from getting coverage or dictate how much they have to pay for it. Some insurance companies even consider pregnancy a pre-existing condition.

Primary Care Physician

A physician who often provides the first contact for a health concern and who generally sees a patient on an on-going basis for a variety of health care needs. May refer the patient to a Specialist (see below) for a particular problem.

SCHIP

The State Children’s Health Insurance Program created in 1997 provides health insurance to around 6.6 million children across the country. Costs of this program are shared by the state and federal government.

Single-payer health care system

A single-payer system is coverage for every individual that provides comprehensive benefits, is administered by the government, and is funded by taxes.

Specialist (Medical)

A Medical Specialist practices just one branch of medicine, such as neurology, cardiology, or pulmonology.

Tax Credit for Health Care

Under some health care reform proposals, an amount subtracted from one’s tax liability to help them buy health insurance in the private market. The amount of the credit could vary according to age, health status or income and is unlikely to represent an amount sufficient to adequately insure an individual or a family.

Underinsured

Refers to people who have health insurance, but face significant limits on the benefits that may affect the usefulness of the insurance in accessing or paying for necessary health care services.

Uninsured

People who lack any form of health insurance, public of private (Medicare and Medicaid are examples of public insurance). There are 47 million people in this country who are uninsured.

Universal Coverage

Health insurance coverage for every man, woman and child in a state or country. It extends access to all regardless of employment, citizenship status, pre-existing health conditions, or current mental or physical health.