WASHINGTON, May 10 /PRNewswire/ -- As the number of uninsured Americans grows to crisis levels, the United Health Foundation, a private foundation supported by the UnitedHealth Group family of companies, joins with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and many others, in calling for collaborative efforts between federal and state governments, the healthcare industry, and the business community, to urgently develop solutions to this growing problem. As the sponsor of the Cover the Uninsured Week's events in Washington, D.C., the Foundation is pleased by the significant participation of a broad range of community leaders, including the Mayor of the District of Columbia, members of the City Council, prominent employers, health care executives and representatives from community-based health care clinics. Today's kick-off event at Freedom Plaza demonstrates the priority that this issue has for the District of Columbia and its leadership.
"As a nation, we can and must urgently promote a process that clearly defines what constitutes a basic health benefit package and then work to immediately deliver these basic benefits to everyone," said William McGuire, M.D., chairman of UnitedHealth Group and president of United Health Foundation. "Governments cannot do it alone and no single industry group -- be it insurers, employers, or health care providers -- can affect the necessary solutions unilaterally. We must do this together. As such, we are pleased to be an active participant in the nonpartisan Cover the Uninsured Week initiative. This is our best opportunity to mobilize our nation and communities in the struggle to preserve and protect the health of all Americans."
Some of the most influential organizations in the country, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the AFL-CIO, are cosponsoring Cover the Uninsured Week nationally. Nearly 1,500 public events will take place in all 50 states in addition to the District of Columbia. This initiative is supported by nine former surgeons general and health and human services secretaries, and is co- chaired by Presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter.
According to the latest U.S. Census Bureau estimates, nearly 44 million Americans did not have health insurance in 2002. Also in 2002, the number of people without health coverage jumped by more than 2 percent, the largest one- year increase in a decade
According to Reed Tuckson, M.D., vice president of United Health Foundation, "because the imperative for immediate and tangible action to provide necessary care to the uninsured is so compelling, our Foundation recently partnered with Unity Health Care, Inc. to establish a model community-based 'Center of Excellence' at the Congress Heights clinic located in the Anacostia area of the District of Columbia. This annual grant of $1 million has initiated the development of a novel medical framework to provide a continuum of primary specialty care services, disease prevention programs and cutting-edge health promotion initiatives. The expansion of medical and oral care services, as well as comprehensive health education outreach to the medically underserved community of Anacostia, are well underway." As part of the Cover the Uninsured Week activities, a health fair will be held at the clinic, located at 3270 Martin Luther King, Jr., Avenue, SE, Washington, DC, on Saturday, May 15, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.
"The United Health Foundation cares deeply about the plight of uninsured Americans, and is fully engaged in the national dialogue on this issue. We are committed to working with others," said Dr. McGuire, "to identify the solutions that can make a lasting, positive difference in people's lives. Healthcare coverage for all is definitely obtainable."
About United Health Foundation
The United Health Foundation was established in 1999 as a nonprofit private foundation. The foundation provides information to physicians and other health professionals, individuals and communities to support health and medical decisions that lead to better health outcomes and healthier communities. The United Health Foundation is solely supported by UnitedHealth Group and its family of companies. For more information about the United Health Foundation and its work, visit http://www.unitedhealthfoundation.org/.
United Health FoundationCONTACT: Mark Lindsay of the United Health Foundation, +1-952-992-7116,mark_f_lindsay@uhc.com
Web site: http://www.unitedhealthfoundation.org/
