STATEMENT OF OLEGARIO "OLLIE" D. CANTOS, VII
GENERAL COUNSEL AND DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIESENDORSEMENT OF HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 99
June 25, 2002

Children and adults with disabilities constitute one of the largest segments of American society, comprising more than 56 million people and approximately 20% of the general population. Like people without disabilities, members of the disability community represent a unique resource of talent, skill, know-how, and drive, thereby, contributing meaningfully and substantially to the life of their respective communities as we actively live out our daily lives as integral members of the broader society at large. As with others, good health is central to enhanced community vitality, a spirit of energy and drive, and the ongoing ability to continue to build a solid future for generations to come.

Today, we, the members of the American Association of People with Disabilities, the largest cross-disability grass-roots membership organization in the country, join in unity with colleagues from hundreds of local, state, and national grass-roots organizations around the nation, who are part of the Health Care Access Campaign, strongly to endorse decisive passage of House Concurrent Resolution 99 whose ideals will pave the way for solid health care reform by bringing to the table all those concerned - patient advocacy organizations, private insurers, employers from the public and private sectors, and health care providers - to arrive at a comprehensive collective solution that will pave the way for universal access to health care regardless of age, race, religion, income, size of community, and disability.

From the perspective of the disability community, health care reform is long overdue. Children with disabilities must not be denied the treatment they need when disability-related medical expenses arise. For adults, appropriate and effective work incentives must be put into place to encourage people with disabilities to move from the government rolls to the pay rolls such that they do not lose health care coverage simply because they choose to pursue gainful employment. Older Americans with disabilities (many of whom acquire disabilities later in life) should not have to worry about whether or not a particular medical procedure will be covered, based on existing limited income or resources.

The goals of House Concurrent Resolution 99 are ambitious indeed. However, the vast disparity of access to quality health care between those who can afford it and those who cannot is simply unacceptable, and ignoring the problem or providing short-term solutions will only cause this crisis to grow worse. Congress must place universal health care reform at high priority, and strong and immediate bipartisan support for House Concurrent Resolution 99 will send a clear message to millions that its members are collectively committed to arriving at innovative solutions that are beneficial for everyone.

With 40 million Americans being uninsured and tens of millions more being underinsured, the current crisis is nothing short of epidemic in proportions. We must find a way to put an end to the plague of lack of access to quality care, and solid passage of HR-99 by House members from both sides of the aisle is the first comprehensive step to doing just that.

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