On September 4, Blue Shield of California launced a grassroots campaign to raise the awareness about the uninsured crises in California called "“Let’s Shield California.”

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Let’s Shield California underscores our firm belief that every Californian should
have access to quality, affordable healthcare coverage. Through a series of
public events, e-mail campaigns, and educational outreach Blue Shield will provide
a platform to galvanize Californians to be part of the solution.

Their goal is to encourage people to speak out and push policymakers to pass
legislation expanding coverage to the uninsured.

On September 5 and 9, they will hold events in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Throughout each city, they will also deploy 100 clay and plaster statues representing the 6.7 million Californians living without health insurance.

The company hopes this unique approach will help shine a spotlight on the problem
and bring us closer to a solution.

Having so many Californians uninsured isn’t a new problem, but it’s a true
crisis with devastating consequences. Twenty percent of people in this state
are uninsured, including over 800,000 children.* This problem also affects
those of us who do have coverage. Because emergency rooms often
become the “care of last resort” for people who cannot pay for services,
and government programs are underfunded, healthcare costs are shifted
to those who do have insurance, in the form of higher fees and premiums –
a “hidden tax.”

Blue Shield believes financial responsibility for covering the uninsured must be shared
broadly. A 2007 study+ found that hospitals currently compensate for the
shortfall in their government health program payments by adding nearly
11 percent to their bills to privately insured patients. The New America
producer alert Foundation estimated that California families also face a hidden tax of up
to $1,200 a year in higher costs, to make up for these shortfalls. Expanding
coverage to the uninsured and increasing Medicaid reimbursement rates
could reduce premiums by up to 17 percent. ++

Since 2002, Blue Shield claims to have lobbied in favor of expanding coverage to
uninsured by building on the existing private/public health insurance system –
an approach embodied in the legislation proposed last year by Governor
Schwarzenegger and Speaker Nunez.

For more information, visit www.letsshieldcalifornia.com



* = www.statehealthfacts.org (2006 Census report)
+ = California Foundation for Commerce and Education, “Cost Shifting in California Hospitals,” 2007
++ = CHHS analysis of “The Cost Shift Payment Hydraulic,” Dobson, et al, Health Affairs, 2006