PATIENT ADVOCATE GROUPS TO LAUNCH ESSENTIAL BENEFITS CAMPAIGN ON WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7 AT 10:00AM
December 6, 2011
Contact: Carl Schmid
The AIDS Institute
(202) 669-8267
PATIENT ADVOCATE GROUPS TO LAUNCH ESSENTIAL BENEFITS CAMPAIGN ON WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7 AT 10:00AM
Groups Will Urge HHS to Consider the Needs of the Chronically Ill In Essential Benefits Debate
Washington DC (December 5, 2011) – A group of patient advocates today launched the “I am Essential” campaign, dedicated to making the voice of the patient heard in the essential health benefits debate and ensuring that all Americans receive proper benefits and health coverage. On Wednesday, December 7 at 10:00AM, members of the campaign – including representatives from The AIDS Institute, the National Minority Quality Forum, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association – will make the case that an essential benefits package drawn too narrowly will risk not adequately covering patient needs, and that access to affordable, high quality care saves lives and lowers health care costs in the long run.
In conjunction with the launch, the campaign is joining with other patient advocacy groups to send a letter to HHS and members of Congress, urging the government to ensure the nation’s Essential Health Benefits package provides for all American health care consumers, particularly those who have chronic health conditions.
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) established and took the first steps in defining a set of core health services, or “Essential Benefits,” that all health insurance plans sold through state exchanges must cover. The ACA requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to define the parameters of Essential Benefits with respect to covered treatments, items and services and approximate the scope of benefits provided under the typical employer plan.
WHAT: Launch of the “I am Essential” campaign
WHO: “I am Essential” Campaign members Carl Schmid of The AIDS Institute, Gary Puckrein of the National Minority Quality Forum, Andrew Sperling of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and Virginia Ladd of the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association.
WHEN: Wednesday, December 7, 2011 at 10:00AM
CALL INFORMATION: Dial-in: 1-866-809-6529, Guest code: 794313#
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About the “I am Essential” Campaign: The “I am Essential” campaign is a collection of patient advocacy organizations that represent chronically ill or disabled patients and believe that the debate over the essential health benefits debate has centered on cost and affordability, rather than the needs of the people they represent. The campaign will ensure that these patients’ voices are not lost in the debate surrounding the establishment of an essential benefits package.