In his testimony, Mr. Williams urged Congress to build on what works, and to focus its energies on targeted solutions for improving coverage, quality and affordability. He emphasized that millions of Americans receive health care coverage through their employers and millions more through public programs, which could be made to work better by enrolling all Americans who are currently eligible.
"Let’s not pull the rug out from under the 250 million Americans who have coverage, but rather let’s focus on encouraging solutions that work for each segment of the uninsured," he said. "We also must emphasize quality and value in health care — giving people the tools they need to better understand their own health care needs, live healthier lives and navigate the system to seek out the best value for every dollar they spend."
Mr. Williams also called on Congress to focus on the key issues facing the U.S. health care system — the high and rising costs of medical care in America; the lack of emphasis on value, quality and prevention; some state regulations that put affordable health insurance products out of the reach of millions of Americans; and the need to fix the individual market for health insurance in America.
"Aetna is committed to being a part of the solution in transforming health care in America," said Mr. Williams. "I believe that together, the public and private sectors can improve health care coverage in America by focusing on the interrelated areas of cost, quality and access to create a system that we all can be proud of."
As part of his testimony, Mr. Williams submitted to Congress Aetna’s To Your Health! proposal. This plan emphasizes the value of a public-private partnership that builds on the best of private sector innovation while working to preserve and enhance the public sector safety net. It is designed to serve as a framework for sensible policy action and reflects Aetna’s willingness to serve as a resource in the continuing health care debate. The plan’s 10 points focus on four areas — getting and keeping everyone covered; maintaining the employer-based system and exporting its strengths to make the individual market function better; reorienting the system toward prevention, value and high-quality health care; and using market incentives to improve coverage, drive down costs and make the system more consumer-oriented.
The full plan and testimony can be accessed at:
http://www.aetna.com/news/2008/To_Your_Health_Aetna_Proposal_for_Health_Care_System_Transformation062008.pdf
http://www.aetna.com/news/2008/Testimony_of_Ronald_A_Williams062008.pdf
About Aetna
Aetna is one of the nation’s leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 37.3 million people with information and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range of traditional and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral health, group life and disability plans, and medical management capabilities and health care management services for Medicaid plans. Our customers include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups and expatriates. www.aetna.com.
