Single Payer News, June 22, 2014
The Chicago chapter of Jobs with Justice has endorsed H.R. 676, national single-payer legislation sponsored by Congressman John Conyers of Michigan. H.R. 676 is also called “Expanded and Improved Medicare for All.”
Susan Hurley, executive director of Chicago Jobs with Justice, commented on the resolution: “Single-payer health care has to be our ultimate goal in the United States. It is the only humane and civilized choice, as well as being the best choice for health outcomes and cost.”
“The longer the delay, the deeper our shame in the eyes of the world and future generations,” Hurley stated.
The resolution notes that an estimated 31 million Americans will remain uninsured in 2023 and that underinsurance is growing as many patients are forced into insurance plans with high-deductibles (> $1,000) and narrow networks of providers.
Chicago Jobs with Justice, a broad coalition of scores of unions and other organizations including the Chicago Federation of Labor, is dedicated to promoting workers’ rights and social and economic justice.
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H.R. 676 would institute a single-payer health care system by expanding a greatly improved Medicare to everyone residing in the U.S. Patients will choose their own physicians and hospitals.
H.R. 676 would cover every person for all necessary medical care including prescription drugs, hospital, surgical, outpatient services, primary and preventive care, emergency services, dental (including oral surgery, periodontics, endodontics), mental health, home health, physical therapy, rehabilitation (including for substance abuse), vision care and correction, hearing services including hearing aids, chiropractic, durable medical equipment, palliative care, podiatric care, and long-term care.
H.R. 676 ends deductibles and co-payments. H.R. 676 would save hundreds of billions annually by eliminating the high overhead and profits of the private health insurance industry and HMOs.
In the current Congress, H.R. 676 has 58 co-sponsors in addition to Congressman Conyers.
H.R. 676 has been endorsed by 614 union organizations including 147 Central Labor Councils/Area Labor Federations and 44 state AFL-CIOs (KY, PA, CT, OH, DE, ND, WA, SC, WY, VT, FL, WI, WV, SD, NC, MO, MN, ME, AR, MD-DC, TX, IA, AZ, TN, OR, GA, OK, KS, CO, IN, AL, CA, AK, MI, MT, NE, NJ, NY, NV, MA, RI, NH, ID & NM).
For further information, a list of union endorsers, or a sample endorsement resolution, contact:
Kay Tillow, All Unions Committee for Single Payer Health Care–HR 676, c/o Nurses Professional Organization (NPO), 1169 Eastern Parkway, Suite 2218, Louisville, KY 40217. Phone: (502) 636-1551. E-mail: nursenpo@aol.com; website: http://unionsforsinglepayer.org.