March 25, 2010 |
For more information, contact: 248.489.6068 (office) |
Statement on Health Reform Bill
Novi, Michigan (March 25, 2010) - Trinity Health commends members of the U.S. House of Representatives for passing a bill that includes an integrated set of reforms that will improve the U.S. health care system. While this is a historic moment, the work to implement reform is just beginning. Trinity Health is willing and able to work with the Administration, Congress and other groups to ensure the goals of reform are achieved. While this package is not perfect, it goes a long way toward achieving many of the Essential Elements of Reform that Trinity Health has been calling for since 2006. Our doctors, nurses and staff - those on the front lines of health care delivery - have been asking elected officials to ensure that everyone has quality, affordable health coverage in a coordinated, cost-effective system of care. The recent passage of the reform package has moved us much closer to that goal. We were happy to see that the legislation will significantly expand access to affordable health care coverage, reflecting progress toward protecting human dignity and promoting the common good. Trinity Health also had been advocating for insurance reforms that would: • Prohibit insurance companies from denying coverage to individuals with pre-existing conditions and canceling policies once people get sick; • Cap out-of-pocket costs; and • End annual and lifetime dollar limits on coverage. • We call upon the U.S. Senate to quickly enact the accompanying reconciliation legislation to ensure those important provisions become a reality. We believe our early involvement in reform established Trinity Health as a respected advocate. Importantly, it also guided our strategic decisions, which have positioned us to thrive in the post-reform health care environment. We have anticipated the changes that will be ushered in by reform and now are poised to succeed in world where payment structures encourage effective use of technology, coordinated delivery of care and improved clinical performance. Trinity Health is moving decisively to implement changes that will improve quality and safety in a patient-centered care model, while leveraging our skill and scale to operate more efficiently.
About Trinity Health Trinity Health is the fourth-largest Catholic health care system in the country. Based in Novi, Mich., Trinity Health operates 44 acute-care hospitals, 379 outpatient facilities, 33 long-term care facilities, and numerous home health offices and hospice programs in eight states. Employing 45,800 full-time staff, Trinity Health reported $7.0 billion in unrestricted revenue in fiscal year 2009. As a not-for-profit health system, Trinity Health reinvests its profits back into the community through programs to serve the poor and uninsured, manage chronic conditions like diabetes, health education and promotion initiatives, and outreach for the elderly. In Fiscal 2009, this included nearly $400 million in such community benefits. |