State workers union backs single-payer health legislation
By Workday staff
Workday Minnesota
22 January 2007
SHOREVIEW - The Minnesota Association of Professional Employees, representing more than 11,000 professional state government employees, has endorsed a national single-payer health-care system.
The MAPE Board of Directors on Friday endorsed HR 676 (the United States National Health Insurance Act), which is sponsored by Congressman John Conyers, D-Mich. HR 676 would institute a single-payer health-care system in the United States by expanding a greatly improved Medicare system to every resident.
“Affordable health care should be made available to all residents of this country,” said MAPE Executive Director Jim Monroe. “Single-payer health care is an economical way to address the health-care crisis in this country.”
Monroe added, “All Americans should be able to get the preventive care that they need to help prevent catastrophic illnesses when they are easier and less expensive to treat. Furthermore, if they do get ill, all Americans should be able to concentrate on getting well instead of worrying about how they will pay for the urgent care that they need.”
In backing HR 676, MAPE joined the Minnesota AFL-CIO which also endorsed the legislation at its last Executive Council meeting.
“The General Board of the Minnesota AFL-CIO supports HR 676 because we believe it is the best, most efficient and cost effective way to ensure that everyone has access to affordable, quality health care,” said Secretary-Treasurer Steve Hunter.
The Minnesota AFL-CIO is the 17th state labor federation to endorse the proposal. More than 200 individual unions and central labor councils also have voiced their support.
HR 676 would cover every person in the United States for all necessary medical care including prescription drugs, hospital, surgical, outpatient services, primary and preventive care, emergency services, dental, mental health, home health, physical therapy, rehabilitation (including for substance abuse), vision care, chiropractic and long term care. It would end deductibles and co-payments. Proponents say HR 676 would save billions annually by eliminating the high overhead and profits of the private health insurance industry and HMOs. Clinics, hospitals and other health care providers would continue to be privately operated, but would be reimbursed for services through one government system.