Health care status in the United States leaves 44 million children, women and men without health insurance

The following statement is being issued by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation:

"The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation initiated Cover the Uninsured Week so that millions of Americans could join together to say that the health care status quo in the United States, which leaves 44 million children, women and men without health insurance, is unacceptable, and that we cannot allow this situation to continue. More than 2,300 organized events are taking place this week, in every state and the District of Columbia. From coast to coast, people are speaking out about the need for affordable health coverage for all Americans and are calling for solutions. Among those participating in the Week are members of more than 240 national organizations, including small business owners, physicians, nurses, emergency room staff, unionized employees, patients, faith leaders, and many others.
 
"Our goal is affordable and stable health care coverage for all Americans, including the 44 million Americans who currently have no health insurance of any kind.

"Earlier this week, leaders of both political parties and a group of major employers felt compelled by the outpouring of support for Cover the Uninsured Week to discuss the issue of health coverage and offer their ideas for change. While we do not endorse these or any other specific proposals, we welcome the discussion of all approaches to solving this problem, from the most incremental to the most sweeping. What we need is the will and the flexibility to accomplish change.

"We understand that ensuring stable and affordable health care coverage for all Americans will require hard work and a willingness to compromise. As elected representatives, business leaders, and others consider various approaches to expanding coverage, we hope they understand that they will likely need to transcend their first policy choice. Strict devotion to one idea over all others will result in stalemate. If proponents of expanding coverage let what they view as the perfect become the enemy of the good, we will not make progress, and the unacceptable status quo, in which 44 million Americans go without coverage, will remain America's policy for health care coverage.

"The tens of thousands of individuals and organizations that participated in Cover the Uninsured Week agree that all Americans must have stable and affordable health care coverage and that such change needs to happen soon. We need a commitment to expanding coverage, not only from our political leaders, but from all of us -- consumers, physicians, hospitals, insurers, business owners -- no matter what it takes -- even if it takes compromise."

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Princeton, N.J., is the nation's largest philanthropy dedicated solely to improving the health and health care of all Americans. http://www.rwjf.org