To download audio of Karen Ignagni, CEO of America's Health Insurance Plan, being interviewed on The Big Story, right-click here and select 'Save Link As...'. Audio courtesy of WJR Detroit.
See below for a transcript of the broadcast.
The Big Story, WJR News - August 13, 2008
LLOYD JACKSON, anchor:
A nationwide traveling health care round table discussion group made a stop in Detroit today. More now from WJR's John Stockwell.
JOHN STOCKWELL reporting:
Detroit was the second stop on a listening tour conducted by America's Health Insurance Plans. Members of the group met with metro area citizens at the Second Ebenezer Baptist Church. Karen Ignani is the president and CEO of the group.
Karen, tell me, what is the event about today? What's going on?
Ms. KAREN IGNANI (CEO and President, American Health Insurance Plans): We're on a listening tour, hearing from rank and file Americans about their health care issues. We're presenting our proposals for reform. We want to have a dialog. We want to understand how our proposals can help solve their problems, what other issues we need to put on the table, and how we can work with other stakeholders to make health care reform happen.
STOCKWELL: And what is the common theme you're hearing from people who come to these meetings?
Ms. IGNANI: We're hearing that it's time for Washington to act, that health care needs to be prioritized as other issues such as the economy and the war, that people are struggling out there. And even people who have health care coverage are concerned about maintaining it. People who don't have it need it.
From a productivity perspective, they can't go to work if they're sick; their kids can't go to school And I think what we're hearing is a strong, persuasive message from Washington that it's time to prioritize this reform.
STOCKWELL: And explain to me about your group, too, because you're not affiliated with any party. Explain what your goal is, or how you work.
Ms. IGNANI: We work--we represent the health care plans across the country, large and small. We are working together as a community to work with hospitals, with physicians, with community leaders, with advocacy organizations to stand tall for the point that health care reform needs to be prioritized. We need to get all Americans covered. We need to reduce the rate of increase in health care costs and continue to improve the quality.
STOCKWELL: And tell me about the tour around the country. How many cities are you going to and so forth?
Ms. IGNANI: Well, we're going to go to 10 between now and the election, which is a tall order. But we think that it's very important to get out to different communities to hear what people have on their minds, understand how our proposals that we have made can help individuals and to make sure that we're bringing back suggestions for changes in those proposals as well, which we're doing.
STOCKWELL: Also in attendance was president and CEO of the Detroit Community Health Connection, Wayne Bradley, Sr.
Tell me about the event today.
Mr. WAYNE BRADLEY Sr. (Detroit Community Health Connection): Well, I received a call yesterday, and I was elated to know that the AHIP is concerned about the uncompensated folks across the country, not just here in Detroit, but getting information, getting information that they could feed back to our government, to representatives, to other groups that are addressing the same issues that we're addressing here in Detroit.
STOCKWELL: People that do come for you to help, people that are uninsured, what are their main concerns? What are the stories that you hear?
Mr. BRADLEY: Well, the bigger part of the problem for us is making sure that people are aware that we're there to serve them. Many people don't come to our facilities because they don't think they qualify. They're not aware of us. We don't feel that there's a tremendous access issue. In some of my facilities, we're under capacity.
The knowledge that we're there to serve, that we provide services, that we don't turn people away, that's the bigger part of the problem that I'm trying to address, making people aware that we're here to serve; we will serve.
STOCKWELL: According to the group, 10 percent of Michigan residents are without health insurance. Reporting for THE BIG STORY, John Stockwell, WJR News.
JACKSON: Thank you, John.