The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #68765

Sonya R. Albury, MSW, Health Council of South Florida, 8095 NW 12 Street, Miami, FL 33126, 305-592-1452, salbury@healthcouncil.org

The growing numbers of uninsured has reached crisis proportions. Many communities across the nation have engaged in significant health planning processes and are independently and collectively arriving at the same conclusion --- that universal health insurance may be the only equitable, comprehensive and rational solution to assuring health care access for all. This session will summarize models of best practices that are being pilot tested in different regions of the country, as well as selected examples of the emerging models currently under development or consideration by health care policy makers and other leading elected officials. Both public and public/private models will be introduced. The principles of health planning and public health will be applied to these models to assess their responsiveness to access, quality and cost factors. Contemporary considerations for health plan design in a managed care environment will be incorporated into the matrix presentation of health plans. Measures of quality, access, cost-effectiveness and impact on the working uninsured and children will be given special emphasis. Dialog will be encouraged among participants to consider a coordinated strategy of community mobilization for replicating these best practices in other cities, counties and states. Consideration of a national universal health care plan will be entertained both in terms of fundamental principles of health care ethics, health planning, and the projected feasibility of such an approach, given the current and future health policy environment.

Learning Objectives:

• At the conclusion of the session, participants will be able to:
• List 4 viable models for universal health care access that are being pilot tested/considered in the United States.
• Describe the key factors that should be addressed when designing and/or considering a plan for universal coverage.
• Identify 5 planning and public health principles/activities that should be applied when developing a universal health care plan.

Keywords: Planning, Universal Health Care

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Health Council of South Florida, we do not view this as a potential conflict of interest.
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: Employer