ShoutAmerica

SHOUTAmerica was founded in 2008, with the support of R. Clayton McWhorter, a well-known, veteran healthcare executive and former chairman of Hospital Corporation of America.[2] McWhorter's longtime role as a leader in the healthcare industry has fostered his ability to foresee a system destined for change. The idea that would eventually become SHOUTAmerica grew from McWhorter's deep concern for the impact of healthcare's rising cost on future generations, as well as his belief in the necessity of empowering young Americans in the issues that shape this nation both today and especially tomorrow.[3]

Thus, in continuing his long legacy of giving back, McWhorter lent his vision, resources and a blank whiteboard to a handful of young individuals, tasked with creating an organization that would educate and energize the future of America on the need for healthcare reform.[4]

The organization formally launched in October 2008, with the SHOUTAmerica Healthcare Leadership Conference.[5] The conference brought together student government leaders from colleges and universities around the nation to Nashville, Tennessee to discuss healthcare and its impact on the nation. Student leaders interacted with a host of healthcare leaders including Senator Bob Corker, a co-sponsor of "The Healthy Americans Act";[6] U.S. Representative Jim Cooper, a Rhodes Scholar and Congressman from Tennessee; Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, a special advisor to the director of the White House Office of Management and Budget for health policy and a former member of President Clinton's Health Care Task Force [7] and author of Healthcare Guaranteed; and Stephanie Kennan,[8] a healthcare policy expert and author of "The Healthy Americans Act." Participants also helped develop implementation plans to take the SHOUTAmerica cause back to their respective campuses. Highlighting the call to action was a viewing of the original Declaration of Independence, followed by the signing of SHOUTAmerica's "Declaration of Commitment" to the pursuit of healthcare reform.,[9]

SHOUTAmerica contends that there is a healthcare crisis in the United States emerging largely from healthcare's rapidly rising cost, which at current stands to bankrupt the federal government, weaken the American economy and leave an increasing number of Americans uninsured.

• As a country and as individuals we pay the most for our healthcare in the world, but our system ranks 37th in quality according to the World Health Organization and leaves 1 out of every 6 Americans uninsured.[10]
• In 2007, the average cost for family insurance coverage was $12,106 per year.[11]
• General Motors now spends more on healthcare than on steel, while Starbucks spends more on healthcare than on coffee beans.[10]
• Our government has current unfunded, financial obligations of approximately $34.1 trillion from Medicare.[12]

SHOUTAmerica primarily directs its efforts at spreading awareness and generating dialogue amongst Americans about how the future is being threatened by a broken and unsustainable healthcare system and what they can do to help. The organization offers education materials on its website regarding the healthcare crisis as well as tools and resources aimed at helping individuals develop and share their thoughts about healthcare reform in America with the online community and healthcare experts.[13]

SHOUTAmerica is actively seeking partners to help educate and to provide resources for its community. In October 2008, SHOUTAmerica partnered with change:healthcare,[14] a company focused on driving transparency throughout the healthcare industry. As a leader in consumerism and technology, change:healthcare's interactive platform provides an online tool to track, share and compare healthcare costs and experiences. This partnership led to the development of the SHOUTAmerica healthcare cost manager, a customized way for the SHOUTAmerica community to evaluate and compare their own healthcare expenditures.

• Health care reform in the United States
• List of healthcare reform advocacy groups in the United States
• Medicare (United States)
• Single-payer health care
• United States National Health Care Act
• Universal health care