By Veronique LaCapra, St. Louis Public Radio
St. Louis, MO – The President and CEO of the Missouri Health Foundation says that if Congress fails to enact health care reform, everyone will suffer - not just the uninsured. Dr. James Kimmey spoke to a packed auditorium today at the Missouri History Museum.
Kimmey said that the annual cost of insurance for a family is currently about $13,000.
"If insurance premiums increase going forward - no reform, just stay as we are - if they increase at the rate of the last 10 years, by 2019, you, or your employer, or the two of you together, will be paying more than $30,000 a year, for the coverage you have now for $13,000," said Kimmey.
Opponents of the proposed reform say requiring all Americans to get health insurance would be overly costly and would drive the country further into debt.