Policy Statement 5 - March 2006

Insurance Coverage for Rural Americans

NeRHA is committed to comprehensive health care for all people living and working in America. The NeRHA supports the goal of affordable universal health coverage and access to care for all. Furthermore, as proposals to address un-insurance and underinsurance are considered, policymakers should assess the impact of these proposals on rural communities.

In order to achieve this goal:

• The NeRHA supports strategies targeted at expanding public coverage through expansion of programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP.

• The NeRHA supports alternatives to the current employer-sponsored system or modifications that make that system work better for small businesses and the self-employed.

• The NeRHA supports strategies designed to pool risk and/or create purchasing pools with government subsidies as needed. The NeRHA recognizes that failing to pool risk results in access barriers for those with pre-existing and chronic health conditions.

• The NeRHA supports proposals designed to address the problem of underinsurance, defined both as being covered by a limited benefit package and spending a high percentage of one’s income for health costs.

• The NeRHA supports tax credit proposals that make high quality insurance affordable.

• The NeRHA encourages policy-makers to examine current efforts in rural communities to provide coverage and expand the safety net. Additional demonstrations should be funded. Rural-based coverage strategies and/or insurance models should be encouraged.