Today, SEIU's Change that Works campaign released a report on rising health care costs and the value of reform in Arkansas. The facts speak for themselves - in a state like Arkansas, health care reform is not just about improving the health and safety of Americans, it's also a bottom-line, balance sheet issue. Government, families and businesses large & small stand to save trillions from fixing health care. It will strengthen Arkansas's businesses, help us retain jobs, and provide greater access and choices to citizens in need of care. Below are highlights from the report:

• In 2007, Arkansas's economy lost as much as $1.53 billion because of the poor health and shorter lifespan of the uninsured. That equates to $3,400 per uninsured Arkansas resident. This year, Arkansas faces a $107 million projected state budget deficit. This represents 2.4% of state spending.

A snapshot of Arkansas's uninsured:

• 62,650 uninsured children
• 836,000 non-elderly citizens uninsured between 2007-2008
• 69,393 uninsured adults in Arkansas are between the ages of 50 and 64, meaning that more than 13% of Arkansas's aging adults lack health insurance.

On spending:

• 709,000 non-elderly adults in Arkansas spent more than 10% of their pre-tax family income on health care costs in 2009.
• Health insurance premiums rose by 65.8% from 2000 to 2007, while median earnings only increase a mere 11.6%
• In 2007, premiums grew 5.7 times faster than wages
• By 2016, projections show that Arkansas families will have to pay $21,000 for health care annually.
• If current trends continue, family premiums would spend over 48% of median household income. This represents a 87% increase over 2008 levels.