What is the Council for Affordable Health Insurance?
The Council for Affordable Health Insurance (CAHI) was formed in 1992 and is a Washington based organization with an ambitious but commendable aim. Their aim is to educate regulators, lawmakers and politicians about the results and effects – both good and bad – of various health care reform plans.
The Council’s membership includes insurance companies, small businesses, various
non-profit organizations as well as concerned individuals. The Council is led by
the board of directors whose tasks include reviewing proposed health care
legislation, developing policy and testifying before Congress. CAHI has recently
been in the headlines for paying a $100,000 advertising bill aimed at improving
health legislation in certain North-Eastern states.
Some of the specific issues which the Council is concerned with are providing
tax credits for unemployed people and ensuring that people with pre-existing
medical conditions aren’t excluded from being able to get health insurance. They
also suggest more reasonable medical malpractice liability laws and increasing
disclosure so that patients have more knowledge about healthcare costs and
coverage.
And one of their most important goals is to increase affordable health care
options for both working people and the unemployed – one method of doing this is
a proposal to allow people to purchase health insurance from other states, thus
increasing competition and lowering prices. The Council also determined that
uninsured people pay a lot more for medical services than those with insurance –
another of their concerns.
CAHI has also developed an extensive network of grassroots organizations who
they work closely with to take their message to the media as well as lawmakers.
Analysts produce detailed reports based on the Council’s findings, which are
then distributed to the media and public.
The Council’s name is perhaps a little bit misleading – they can’t actually save
you any money on health insurance, nor do they even provide insurance. But as a
means of addressing and improving one of the most important issues concerning
many people today, they are a valuable resource.
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