Hillary Clinton Campaign Press Release - Clinton Campaign Announces "South Carolina Impact Report" For Hillary's New Health Care Plan

Hillary's American Health Choices Plan to cover 672,000 uninsured South Carolinians; Save Average Families $2,200 a Year

COLUMBIA - The South Carolina Health Care Professionals for Hillary Committee released a report today that documents how Hillary Clinton's American Health Choices Plan will impact the Palmetto State at an unveiling of the report at Providence Hospital in Columbia.

"Families across South Carolina are suffering because they can't afford health insurance under the current system," said Senator Clinton. "Even if they can afford it, insurance companies routinely withhold payment for necessary treatments and health care. My plan puts consumers in the driver's seat."

Under Senator Clinton's plan, the 672,000 Palmetto State residents who have no health insurance-including 99,000 children-will finally receive quality, affordable health care. South Caorlina has seen a 42 percent increase in the number of uninsured since President Bush took office. [Census, 2007]. Senator Clinton's plan will help reverse this trend by providing new refundable tax credits to help cover the cost of high-quality health coverage for all South Carolina residents. Those credits will guarantee that securing quality health care never becomes a crushing burden for South Carolina families, by ensuring that premiums never rise above a certain percentage of family income.

"There is a health disparity in our state, a significant one. And although there are a lot of things that contribute to the disparity, lack of coverage is the major issue. Hillary addresses the disparity by ensuring coverage for 250,000 minority, uninsured South Carolina residents," said Sheryl Mack of Charleston, program coordinator for the Hypertension and Stroke Belt Elimination Initiative.

Lack of coverage is not the only problem with health care in South Carolina. The state faces specific health disparities. Infant mortality in South Carolina is nearly two-and-a-half times higher for African Americans as it is for whites (14.5 percent vs. 6 percent) [Kaiser Family Foundation, 2006]. African Americans make up only 29 percent of South Carolina's population, but 72 percent of the total people living with AIDS and 51 percent of people with cancer [Kaiser Family Foundation, 2006].

All South Carolina residents will benefit from lower costs and improved quality under Senator Clinton's plan. Like families across the country, South Carolina residents have been squeezed by skyrocketing health costs-family premiums are up 58% since 2000. [HHS, 2006]. According to a recent estimate by the Business Roundtable, AARP and SEIU, Senator Clinton's plan to institute a paperless health information technology system could save $165 billion per year-or $2,200 for a typical family.

Under this plan, all Americans can keep their current insurance, choose a new private plan or take part in a public plan like Medicare. Insurance will be portable and safe from discrimination on the basis of chronic or pre-existing conditions. For more information about Hillary Clinton's health care plan, please visit www.hillaryclinton.com/health care.

South Carolina's Health Choices: Hillary Clinton's Plan to Ensure Affordable, Quality Health Care for All South Carolina Residents

On Monday, September 17, Hillary Clinton unveiled the third part of her plan to ensure that all Americans have affordable, quality health insurance. Her American Health Choices Plan will provide quality, affordable health care to all Americans - including the 672,000 uninsured South Carolina residents and the tens of thousands of South Carolina workers with coverage who fear they could be one pink slip away from losing their health coverage. [U.S. Census, 2007]. For South Carolina residents with health insurance, the plan builds on the current system to give businesses and their employees greater choice of health plans - including keeping the one they have - while lowering cost and improving quality.

Quality, Affordable Coverage for ALL South Carolina Workers and Families

The American Health Choices Plan will ensure quality, affordable health care for all Americans by lowering costs, improving quality, and providing new choices for health coverage:

• If you are one of the 2.2 million South Carolina residents that are currently covered by an employer-sponsored or individual plan, Senator Clinton's plan provides you with flexibility and choice-you can keep the plan that you have, you can choose from a menu of quality private plans just like those offered to Members of Congress, or you can opt for a public plan option similar to Medicare. [Kaiser Family Foundation, 2006].
  
• If you are one of the 665,000 South Carolina residents that have no health insurance-including 99,000 children -Senator Clinton's plan will finally ensure that you can get quality, affordable health care. South Carolina has seen a 42% increase in the number of uninsured since President Bush took office. [U.S. Census, 2007]. Senator Clinton's plan will help reverse this trend by providing new refundable tax credits to help cover the cost of high-quality health coverage for all South Carolina residents. Those credits will guarantee that securing quality health care never becomes a crushing burden for South Carolina families, by guaranteeing that premiums never rise above a certain percentage of family income.
  
• If you are one of the 540,000 South Carolina seniors on Medicare, Senator Clinton's plan will retain your coverage while making prescription drugs more affordable and easier to obtain. [Kaiser Family Foundation, 2006].
  
• If you are one of the 685,000 South Carolina residents receiving public insurance, Senator Clinton's plan will fix the holes in the safety net to ensure that the most vulnerable populations receive affordable, quality care. [Kaiser Family Foundation, 2006].

Lower Costs and Greater Security for South Carolina Families

All South Carolina residents will benefit from lower costs and greater security under Senator Clinton's plan. Like families across the country, South Carolina residents have been squeezed by skyrocketing health costs-family premiums are up 58% since 2000. [HHS, 2006]. Senator Clinton has a comprehensive plan to reduce health care costs by modernizing our health care infrastructure that will result in tangible savings for South Carolina families. According to a recent estimate by the Business Roundtable, AARP and SEIU, Senator Clinton's plan to institute a paperless health information technology system could save $165 billion per year-or $2200 for a typical family.

In addition, Senator Clinton will lower costs and increase security for South Carolinians by putting an end to insurance company discrimination. Today in America, insurance companies spend tens of billions of dollars per year figuring out how to avoid costly beneficiaries. Senator Clinton's plan creates new standards that all insurers must follow to ensure that no American is ever again discriminated against by being denied coverage, refused renewal of an insurance policy, unfairly priced out of the market, or charged excessive insurance premiums. Health plans will compete on cost and quality rather than avoiding patients who need insurance the most-ending discrimination and putting money in families' wallets.

Lower Costs and Increased Competitiveness for South Carolina Businesses

Senator Clinton recognizes that rising health care costs are affecting the ability of South Carolina businesses to compete in the global marketplace and create good, high-paying jobs here in the U.S. Her American Health Choices Plan makes health care more affordable for businesses by ending cost-shifting, increasing insurance options, providing relief for retiree health care costs, and by assuring quality and value in our health care system.

• Lower Costs and Shared Responsibility for South Carolina's Large Employers: Senator Clinton's American Health Choices Plan makes health care more affordable for businesses by ending cost-shifting, increasing insurance options, and assuring quality and value in our health care system. Since every American will have health insurance coverage under the plan, businesses will no longer be required to pay the hidden health care "tax" of financing health care services to the uninsured. In addition firms will have more options-they may continue providing health care coverage through existing arrangements, or may purchase coverage for employees through the new Health Choices Menu. In return, the plan will require large firms to provide health insurance or contribute to the cost of the system.
  
• New Tax Credit for South Carolina Small Business: Recognizing that small businesses are a driving force in new job creation, the Clinton plan provides financial incentives for small businesses to purchase health insurance coverage for their employees. While many small businesses in South Carolina are doing their part, only 4 in 10 are able to provide health care coverage for their employees. [Kaiser Family Foundation, 2006]. The American Health Choices Plan recognizes the pressure these small businesses face, and provides a new tax credit to help offset the cost of providing coverage. For the 40% of small firms that currently offer coverage, the new tax credit will help them continue coverage, and for the 60% who don't, the credit will make it more attractive than ever before to provide health care for their employees.
  
• Retiree Health Legacy Initiative: For employers with workforces that face unusually high health care costs due to a high ratio of retirees, the American Health Choices Plan will provide a tax credit for qualifying private and public retiree health plans to offset a significant portion of catastrophic expenditures that exceed a certain threshold.

Closing the Racial Health Gap in South Carolina

Senator Clinton's plan to ensure universal health coverage is a vital is vital to closing the disturbing racial and ethnic health disparities that are pervasive throughout our health care system. On virtually every measure of health and well-being, African Americans in South Carolina fare worse than whites. For example:

• Infant mortality in South Carolina is nearly two-and-a-half times higher for African Americans as it is for whites (14.5% vs. 6%). [Kaiser Family Foundation, 2006].
  
• African Americans make up only 29% of South Carolina's population, but 72% of the total people living with AIDS and 51% of people with cancer. [Kaiser Family Foundation, 2006].

While many factors contribute to the disparities in health outcomes, no factor matters more than access to health insurance. [Families USA]. By providing quality affordable health care to the more than 250,000 minority uninsured residents in South Carolina, the American Health Choices plan will help close these health disparities.

Concrete Steps to Address South Carolina's Nurse Shortage

Despite the efforts of state policy makers, South Carolina continues to suffer from a shortage of registered nurses. Extreme nurse and nurse faculty shortages can endanger patient care. In South Carolina, the state Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) established the goal for a nurse to visit 90% of Medicaid families with newborn babies. Yet due to nursing shortages, the number of visits actually decreased slightly last year. [SCDHEC, 2007]. Senator Clinton's plan to emphasize quality in the health care workforce will resolve shortages of nurses by increasing funding for nurse residencies, providing short-term funding to nursing schools to boost enrollment and establishing innovative training and mentoring programs to improve retention over the long-term.