Talk Radio News Service: News, Politics, Media

By Justine Rellosa
Talk Radio News Service

President and Chief Executive Officer of America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) Karen Ignagni said Monday that qualified Americans should participate in Enroll America.

Enroll America is a non-profit organization which is encouraging anyone who is eligible for government insurance subsidies or Medicaid to become enrolled.

"We have about ten million people now who are eligible for public programs who are not enrolled," said Ignagni. "It is important for people to understand how they can get covered now."

Ignagni commented on the lack of communication between patients and their medical caretakers. She said health care literacy can create a divide between the patient and the practitioner, adding that the goal of Enroll America is to educate citizens about health care options available to them.

"We're excited to be contributing to the ability for individuals to understand more of what is being communicated and to work with physicians and other healthcare practitioners to bring that about," she said.

Ignagni also focused on the importance of creating uniformity in the medical sphere and encouraged payment reforms.

"More can be done to align what's going on in private sectors as well as the public sector to promote payment reform that allows doctors in hospitals...to practice medicine. We can create uniformity...and yes, we can protect practitioners from malpractice concerns," said Ignagni.