• There’s an up side to the potential swine flu pandemic. On May 4, U.S. Rep. Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara) and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) introduced companion legislation to guarantee emergency treatment for victims affected by a major public health disaster, regardless of their health insurance status or ability to pay. The Public Health Emergency Response Act (PHERA), first introduced by Capps and Durbin in July 2008, will give Americans the chance to seek the medical treatment in the immediate aftermath of disasters—such as pandemic flu outbreak, hurricanes, wild fires, or terrorist attacks—without being deterred by prohibitive health-care costs. According to a press release from Capps’ office, PHERA would help protect victims from unnecessary illness or death, guard the general public from contracting communicable diseases, and protect hospitals and localities from bearing the costs of medical care resulting from disasters. “As we face the serious challenges of the emerging H1N1 flu outbreak, we are once again reminded of the importance of having a strong public health safety-net,” Capps, a public health nurse and vice-chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Health, said in the release. “Whether it’s a terrorist attack like 9/11, a hurricane, or a widespread infectious disease outbreak, no one should hesitate to seek care for themselves or their children because of a fear of medical costs.”
This article appears in May 14-21, 2009.