What is Action for Affordable Healthcare (aah)?

I started the non-profit organization "aah" to help the public find solutions to their ever rising health care costs.

Those who have health insurance are in a desparate circumstances. Deductables and co-pays continue to increase dramatically while insurance premiums do the same. They know they cannot afford to go without insurance, but are increasingly finding it unaffordable.

Health care takes up 17.5 % of the Gross National Product in the United States (up from 5% in 1960) and continue to increase 2 times the rate of inflation. Health care expenses cause more bankruptcies than any other cause and keeps the public from gettting the preventative care they need to stay healthy.

I talked to a couple the other day age 66 and age 63.  He is on Medicare and has a number of health problems but she is healthy with no risk factors.  They pay $900 a month combined for their insurance premiums which erodes their retirement savings and only takes care of the basics without deductables and copays.

Another couple is covered by his employers insurance plan but their share comes to $6500 a year with a $4500 deductable.

Health care costs could be reduced by 50% if the free market were allowed to function in this industry.  As it exists, there is essentially no competition that brings prices down.  Medical facilities, doctors, drug companies, and insurance companies charge whatever they like.  The public must pay the price or do without.

I hope to make the public aware that we do not have to put up with the medical monopoly as it exists.
There are actions we can all take. Some of these are:

     -Insist that non-profit hospitals be transparent with their operations and finances.  This information most be timely, easily accessible, and content rich.
     -Encourage that Sarah Bush and Carle as tax exempt community health care facilities allow competition by allowing their employee doctors without penalty to refer to any willing provider and stop payment incentives to doctors for increasing business to their own institution.
      -That health care systems move toward having doctors operate their own independant or group practices where the competition is restored between providers.
      -That fees for services are easily available to the public so they can be compared.
      -Disclosure is made as to what percentage of a fee paying patient's bill goes to pay for free or reduced care for other patients.

Dr. Don Selvidge