Health system CEOs: Senate bill will not resolve healthcare challenges
BY ANTHONY R. TERSIGNI AND … - 07/10/17 10:20 AM EDT
When parents learn their daughter or son has diabetes, their first question generally is the same: Will my child be OK?
Then, as parents learn diabetes usually can be managed with a lifetime of blood monitoring, insulin shots and stringent diet management, their concerns shift to a longer-term question: Will we be able to afford the care needed to help our child remain healthy?
The cost of care is an issue beyond diabetes, of course. Our five health systems provide care in communities serving 40 states and the District of Columbia, and we see many millions of families facing different health issues and the related concerns about costs.
Our healthcare system needs to be accessible and affordable for everyone in America, because illness can affect anyone. Most people will need healthcare at some point in their lifetime. In fact, half of all American adults suffer from at least one chronic health condition, such as diabetes. If care is not affordable, people will choose not to seek treatment and will suffer unnecessarily.
Fortunately, many families today have health insurance that covers the costs of their chronic illnesses — for now.
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http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/healthcare/341146-health-system-ceos-senate-bill-will-not-resolve-healthcare