NEW HAMPSHIRE's RESOLUTION

HCR 2 – AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 2

A RESOLUTION endorsing the National Health Care Act.

SPONSORS: Rep. McEachern, Rock 16; Rep. Splaine, Rock 16

COMMITTEE: Commerce

24Mar2009

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Nine

A RESOLUTION endorsing the National Health Care Act.

Whereas, every person in New Hampshire and in the United States deserves access to affordable, quality health care; and

Whereas, there is a growing crisis in health care in the United States of America, manifested in rising health care costs, increased premiums, out-of-pocket spending, and decreased international business competitiveness; and

Whereas, approximately 135,000 New Hampshire citizens lacked health insurance in 2006; and
Whereas, those insured now often experience burdensome medical debt; and

Whereas, 1/2 of all personal bankruptcies are due to illnesses or medical bills; and

Whereas, the increasing expense of Medicaid and the rising costs of insuring state employees and teachers can best be met not by limiting benefits, but by expanding them under a national, publicly-funded health insurance program; and

Whereas, the complex bureaucracy arising from our fragmented, for-profit, multi-payer system of health care financing consumes approximately 30 percent of the United States health care spending while Medicare has a 3 percent overhead; and

Whereas, United States Representative John Conyers introduced H.R. 676, the United States National Health Care Act, in the United States House of Representatives for the 111th Congress; and

Whereas, this Act would provide a universal, comprehensive, single-payer system of high quality national health insurance; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:

That the New Hampshire general court respectfully urges the United States Congress to enact the United States National Health Care Act sponsored by Representative Conyers; and

That copies of this resolution be transmitted by the house clerk to the President of the United States and to members of the New Hampshire congressional delegation.

http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/legislation/2009/HCR0002.html

MAINE's RESOLUTION

JOINT RESOLUTION MEMORIALIZING THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES TO SIGN LEGISLATION THAT ESTABLISHES A NATIONAL, UNIVERSAL, SINGLE-PAYOR NONPROFIT HEALTH CARE PLAN

http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/bills_124th/billtexts/HP100401.asp

First Regular Session - 124th Legislature - HP1004 - LR 1092 -Item 1

'your Memorialists, the Members of the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Maine now assembled in the First Regular Session, most respectfully present and petition the President of the United States and the United States Congress as follows:

WHEREAS, administrative costs and profits inherent in our current private insurance-based system consume 31% of health care spending, nearly twice that spent by other national health care systems; and

WHEREAS, it is estimated that the cost for the United States National Health Insurance Act, H.R. 676 would only be 5% of income for a vast majority of employers and employees; and

WHEREAS, today medical bills contribute to 1/2 of all personal bankruptcies, the majority of which happen to people who have insurance when illness occurs; and

WHEREAS, proposed mandatory private for-profit health insurance plans will be affordable only for those people who choose high deductibles and minimal coverage, discouraging preventive care and saddling many families with huge medical bills; and

WHEREAS, over the last 35 years managed care, health maintenance organizations and private for-profit health reforms have failed to contain health care costs, which now threaten the international competitiveness of United States manufacturers; and

WHEREAS, researchers at Harvard University have estimated that more than $300,000,000,000 per year could be recovered by replacing private insurance companies with a public single-payor plan, enough to cover the uninsured and to improve coverage for all those who now have only partial coverage; and

WHEREAS, the United States National Health Insurance Act would ensure universal coverage for all medically necessary services, contain costs by slashing bureaucracy, protect the doctor-patient relationship, ensure that patients have a completely free choice of doctors and hospitals and allow independent private physicians to make decisions about needed care rather than the profit-oriented corporations; now, therefore, be it

That We, your Memorialists, respectfully urge and request that the United States Congress enact and the President of the United States sign legislation that is substantially similar to the United States National Health Insurance Act, H.R. 676, which was introduced in the 110th United States Congress; and be it further

That suitable copies of this resolution, duly authenticated by the Secretary of State, be transmitted to the Honorable Barack H. Obama, President of the United States and the United States Congress and to each Member of the Maine Congressional Delegation.'

WHO'S FOR SINGLE PAYER HR-676 -- STATES

MAINE & NEW HAMPSHIRE!

(oh, you wonderful people, you! mmmwhaaaaaaaa!)

Distributed April 12-09 by: All Unions Committee For Single Payer Health Care- HR-676 c/o Nurses Professional Organization - http://unionsforsinglepayerHR676.org

___________________________________________

'BOTH HOUSES of the MAINE STATE LEGISLATURE, on roll call votes, have endorsed a SINGLE-PAYER Healthcare system AND HR-676.

Separately, a just-released poll conducted by the MAINE MEDICAL SOCIETY, shows that a majority of the STATE's PHYSICIANS support a SINGLE-PAYER Healthcare system.

The HR-676 RESOLUTION and vote in MAINE, follows a similar roll call vote by the NEW hAMPSHIRE HOUSE. The NEW HAMPSHIRE HOUSE voted 192-150 on MARCH 24th in favor of RESOLUTION HCR-2 which endorses HR-676 AND a SINGLE-PAYER Healthcare system.

http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/legislation/2009/HCR0002.html

Below is the ASSOCIATED PRESS story that ran in many MAINE newspapers which also cites the recent poll conducted by the MAINE MEDICAL SOCIETY.'

A copy of the MAINE LEGISLATURE's JOINT RESOLUTION can be found at:

http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/bills_124th/billtexts/HP100401.asp

___________________________________________

Submitted By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS--

Wednesday, Apr. 8 at 3:13 pm

AUGUSTA-- 'Maine lawmakers have passed a resolution calling on President Obama and Congress to establish a single-payer health system that covers everyone. The Senate passed the nonbinding resolution by a 20-15 vote on Wednesday, a day after the House did the same by a 91-52 vote.

The resolution cites the high costs of the present system and says managed care, health maintenance organizations and other reforms have failed to contain health costs.

The resolution was passed months after a poll of nearly 600 Maine physicians showed a majority in favor of a single payer, or "Medicare for all", approach. The survey, conducted in November and December, showed 52 percent in favor and 48 percent against.'

WHO'S FOR SINGLE PAYER HR-676 -- UNIONS

http://unionsforsinglepayerhr676.org/union_endorsers

HR-676 has been endorsed by 505 Union Organizations in 49 States. Endorsers include 121 Central Labor Councils and Area Labor Federations and 39 state AFL-CIO's (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, NY, NV & MA).


The following 20 International/National Unions have endorsed HR-676: USW, UAW, NEA, ILWU, NALC, IAM, UA (Plumbers & Pipefitters), AFM (Musicians), UE, CNA/NNOC, SMWIA, IFPTE, OPEIU, UTU, SEIU, AFT, AFSCME, CSEA (California School Employees Association), UWUA, & CWA.

Again, instead of listing them all, the link above will take you to see them listed by name.

WHO'S FOR SINGLE PAYER HR-676 -- CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVES

There are currently 93 Congressional Co-Sponsors of HR-676. Instead of listing them all, I decided to provide this link, the Library of Congress http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:HR00676:@@@P, so that you can go and see whether your Representative's name is listed there. If it is great, send them a message giving them your support.

If not, send your Representative a clear message strongly urging them to get on-board.

You can find your Representatives' and Senators' Fax, Email, Phone, and Address very easily at this site: http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/

WHO'S FOR SINGLE PAYER HR-676 -- U.S. MAYORS

THE U.S. CONFERENCE OF MAYORS

http://www.usmayors.org/resolutions/76th_conference/chhs_03.asp

76th Annual Meeting

June 20-24, 2008

Miami

2008 ADOPTED RESOLUTIONS

RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF THE UNITED STATES

NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE ACT (H.R. 676)

WHEREAS, every person deserves access to affordable quality health care; and

WHEREAS, the number of Americans without health insurance now exceeds 47 million; and

WHEREAS, millions with insurance have coverage so inadequate that a major illness would lead to financial ruin, and medical illness and bills contribute to one-half of all bankruptcies; and

WHEREAS, proposals for "consumer directed health care" would worsen this situation by penalizing the sick, discouraging prevention and saddling many working families with huge medical bills; and

WHEREAS, managed care and other market-based reforms have failed to contain health care costs, which now threaten the international competitiveness of U.S. manufacturers; and

WHEREAS, administrative waste stemming from our reliance on private insurers consumes one-third of private health spending while the single payer Medicare system has administrative costs of less than 5%; and

WHEREAS, U.S. hospitals spend 24.3% of their budgets on billing and administration while hospitals under Canada's single payer system spend only 12.9%; and

WHEREAS, Harvard researchers estimate that more than $300 billion could be recovered by replacing private insurance companies with a single public payer, enough to cover the uninsured and to improve coverage for all those who now have only partial coverage; and

WHEREAS, entrusting care to profit-oriented firms diverts billions of dollars to outrageous incomes for CEOs and threatens the quality of care; and

WHEREAS, The United States National Health Insurance Act (H.R. 676) would assure universal coverage of all medically necessary services, contain costs by slashing bureaucracy, protect the doctor patient relationship, assure patients a completely free choice of doctors, and allow physicians a free choice of practice settings; and

WHEREAS, most polls show that the majority of Americans support universal health care; and

WHEREAS, as of the date of this resolution, the majority of American physicians (59%) believe that Single Payer is the best method of securing universal health care; and

WHEREAS, The United States National Health Insurance Act (H.R. 676) will guarantee every mayor that all residents and employees of his/her city will be fully covered for health care and save millions of taxpayer dollars now spent on premiums to provide less than full health insurance coverage for government employees; and

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the United States Conference of Mayors expresses its support for The United States National Health Insurance Act (H.R. 676), and calls upon federal legislators to work towards its immediate enactment, and further urges the adoption of a process by which health care will be required to justify any increases to health care costs.

WHO'S FOR SINGLE PAYER HR-676 -- PHYSICANS

MEDICAL PERSONNEL FOR SINGLE PAYER HR-676

"Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP)": Dr. Oliver Fein, President: (who was invited to President Obama's Healthcare Summit along with Rep. John Conyers-- who actually wrote HR-676 and of which the PNHP fully backs):

http://www.pnhp.org/facts/singlepayer_faq.php

"The American Medical Students Association":

http://www.amsa.org/

"The American College of Physicians" (the 2nd largest group of physicians in the US):

http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2007/12/24/gvsa1224.htm

"The Annals of Internal Medicine" (trade journal) poll: 59% of US physicians support legislation to support a single-payer national health insurance program:

http://cdm-mcrp.blogspot.com/2008/04/majority-us-physicians-support-single.html

"The California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee":

http://www.calnurses.org/legislative_advocacy/

This is a letter signed by 500 Massachussettes physicians to Senator Ted Kennedy critical of Massachussettes' Healthcare Reform being used as a national model and endorsing, instead, HR-676. Remember, these are from actual physicians that are out there in the trenches and have had to deal with the Massachussettes reform since 2006.

http://www.citizen.org/hrg/articles.cfm?ID=18397

"February 18, 2009

Senator Edward M. Kennedy
317 Russell Senate Building
Washington D.C. 20510

Dear Senator Kennedy:

We understand that you are working energetically on a comprehensive health care reform bill. We write as Massachusetts physicians and as your constituents who have experienced firsthand the consequences of our state's health care reform. We seek to alert you to the defects in the Massachusetts approach and to advise that you push, instead, for a singlepayer reform.

At certain junctures in history, the obstacles of the past melt in the heat of a rising popular demand for change. Now is such a time.

You once proudly described yourself as "an old single-payer advocate," and you have previously introduced model single-payer health reform legislation. We urge you to return to that vision now when your tremendous influence could make this truly just and practical plan a reality.

Please consider the simplicity, cost effectiveness and humanity of a single-payer plan, which could be implemented comparatively easily like traditional Medicare. Any plan that retains private insurers will add layers of bureaucracy and fail to control costs, dooming the noble effort to assure good care for all.

The Massachusetts reform is illustrative of these problems. Costs have skyrocketed -rising far faster than anticipated. Yet hundreds of thousands remain uninsured and the number of patients requiring free care has fallen by only a third. Surveys show that one of every seven Massachusetts residents still can't afford the care they need, and among patients directly affected by the new law, more say it has hurt than helped them. We fear that worse is just around the corner; money needed to fund the reform is being drained from safety-net providers who still carry a heavy burden of care for the uninsured and underinsured.

We ask that you introduce in the Senate legislation modeled on H.R. 676, which gained the support of 94 representatives in 110th Congress, and which has the backing of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, hundreds of unions, and thousands of physicians.

We urge you to be our Tommy Douglas - the founder of Canada's national health program who, according to surveys, remains the most beloved of all Canadians. Surely we deserve the health benefits that are guaranteed in every other developed nation - all medically necessary care, and freedom from the fear of economic ruin due to illness. Only a move to single payer can cut bureaucratic waste, allowing an affordable expansion of care.

We must not squander the opportunity of this momentous time. With your experience and stature you are uniquely able to ensure that generations to come will enjoy the legacy of health care as a human right."

WORLD HEALTH CARE RANKINGS

THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)

WORLD HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS

http://www.photius.com/rankings/healthranks.html

1 France
2 Italy
3 San Marino
4 Andorra
5 Malta
6 Singapore
7 Spain
8 Oman
9 Austria
10 Japan
11 Norway
12 Portugal
13 Monaco
14 Greece
15 Iceland
16 Luxembourg
17 Netherlands
18 United Kingdom
19 Ireland
20 Switzerland
21 Belgium
22 Colombia
23 Sweden
24 Cyprus
25 Germany
26 Saudi Arabia
27 United Arab Emirates
28 Israel
29 Morocco
30 Canada
31 Finland
32 Australia
33 Chile
34 Denmark
35 Dominica
36 Costa Rica
37 United States of America
38 Slovenia
39 Cuba


HEALTHY LIFE EXPECTANCY http://www.photius.com/rankings/healthy_life_table2.html
United States of America- 24th


HEALTH PERFORMACE http://www.photius.com/rankings/world_health_performance_ranks.html
United States of America- 72nd


TOTAL HEALTH GDP EXPEDITURE http://www.photius.com/rankings/total_health_expenditure_as_pecent_of_gdp_2000_to_2005.html
United States of America- Number One at 17%, the highest in the world

THE COST OF HEALTH CARE IN AMERICA

THE UNINSURED and UNDERINSURED

Although nearly 46 million Americans are uninsured,

(with the majority of the rest Underinsured),

the United States spends more on health

care than other industrialized nations,

and those countries provide health

insurance to all their citizens.

(California Health Care Foundation. Health Care Costs 101 -- 2005. 02 March 2005)

Health Care Spending U.S. 2007: $2.4 trillion. (Keehan, S. et al. "Health Spending Projections Through 2017, Health Affairs Web Exclusive W146: 21 February 2008)

Health Care Spending U.S. 2007: $7,900 per person. (Keehan, S. et al. "Health Spending Projections Through 2017, Health Affairs Web Exclusive W146: 21 February 2008)

Health Care Spending U.S. 2008: Expected to rise 6.9%, two times the rate of inflation. (Keehan, S. et al. "Health Spending Projections Through 2017, Health Affairs Web Exclusive W146: 21 February 2008)

Health Care Spending U.S. 2008: 4.3 times the amount of national defense. (California Health Care Foundation. Health Care Costs 101 -- 2005. 02 March 2005)

Health Care Spending U.S. 2012: Projected to $3.1 trillion. (Keehan, S. et al. "Health Spending Projections Through 2017, Health Affairs Web Exclusive W146: 21 February 2008)

Health Care Spending U.S. 2017: Projected to $4.3 trillion. (Keehan, S. et al. "Health Spending Projections Through 2017, Health Affairs Web Exclusive W146: 21 February 2008)

Employer Health Insurance Premiums U.S.: Costs will overtake profits by the end of 2008. (McKinsey and Company. The McKinsey Quarterly Chart Focus Newsletter, "Will Health Benefit Costs Eclipse Profits," September, 2004)

Employer Health Insurance Premiums U.S.: Increased 120% since 1999. Cumulative Inflation 44% and Cumulative Wage Growth 29% for same time period. (The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Employee Health Benefits: 2008 Annual Survey. September 2008)

Employer Health Insurance Premiums U.S.: Increased, on average, four times faster than workers' earnings since 1999. (The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Employee Health Benefits: 2008 Annual Survey. September 2008)

Employer Health Insurance Premiums U.S. 2007: Increased 5.5% for small employers. Increased 6.8% for employer's having less than 24 employees. (The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Employee Health Benefits: 2008 Annual Survey. September 2008)

Worker Health Insurance Premiums U.S. 2007: $2,992. (The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Employee Health Benefits: 2008 Annual Survey. September 2008)

Employer Health Insurance Premiums U.S. 2008: Increased 5.0%, two times the rate of inflation. (The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Employee Health Benefits: 2008 Annual Survey. September 2008)

Employer Health Insurance Premiums U.S. 2008: Family $12,700. Single person $4,700. Annual premiums for family-coverage significantly eclipsed the gross earnings for a full-time, minimum-wage worker who earns $10,712 annually. (The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Employee Health Benefits: 2008 Annual Survey. September 2008)

Worker Health Insurance Premiums U.S.: Increased 120% since 2000. (The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Employee Health Benefits: 2008 Annual Survey. September 2008)

Worker Health Insurance Out-of-Pocket Costs U.S.: Increased 115% since 2000. (The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Employee Health Benefits: 2008 Annual Survey. September 2008)

Worker Health Insurance Premiums U.S. 2008: Increased 12% from 2007. (The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Employee Health Benefits: 2008 Annual Survey. September 2008)

Worker Health Insurance Premiums U.S. 2008: $3,400. (The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Employee Health Benefits: 2008 Annual Survey. September 2008)

GDP U.S. 2008: 17% (Pear, R., "U.S. Health Care Spending Reaches All-Time High: 15% of GDP." The New York Times, 9 January 2004)

GDP U.S. 2017: Projected to 20% (Pear, R., "U.S. Health Care Spending Reaches All-Time High: 15% of GDP." The New York Times, 9 January 2004)

GDP Switzerland: 109% (Pear, R., "U.S. Health Care Spending Reaches All-Time High: 15% of GDP." The New York Times, 9 January 2004)

GDP Germany: 10.7% (Pear, R., "U.S. Health Care Spending Reaches All-Time High: 15% of GDP." The New York Times, 9 January 2004)

GDP Canada: 9.7% (Pear, R., "U.S. Health Care Spending Reaches All-Time High: 15% of GDP." The New York Times, 9 January 2004)

GDP France: 9.5% (Pear, R., "U.S. Health Care Spending Reaches All-Time High: 15% of GDP." The New York Times, 9 January 2004)

BANKRUPTCY STATS- part deux

MEDICAL BILLS LEADING CAUSE OF BANKRUPTCY, HARVARD STUDY FINDS

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2005/bankruptcy_study.html

Illness and medical bills caused half of the 1,458,000 personal bankruptcies in 2001, according to a study published by the journal Health Affairs.

The study estimates that medical bankruptcies affect about 2 million Americans annually -- counting debtors and their dependents, including about 700,000 children.

Surprisingly, most of those bankrupted by illness had health insurance. More than three-quarters were insured at the start of the bankrupting illness. However, 38 percent had lost coverage at least temporarily by the time they filed for bankruptcy.

Most of the medical bankruptcy filers were middle class; 56 percent owned a home and the same number had attended college. In many cases, illness forced breadwinners to take time off from work -- losing income and job-based health insurance precisely when families needed it most.

Families in bankruptcy suffered many privations -- 30 percent had a utility cut off and 61 percent went without needed medical care.

The research, carried out jointly by researchers at Harvard Law School and Harvard Medical School, is the first in-depth study of medical causes of bankruptcy. With the cooperation of bankruptcy judges in five Federal districts (in California, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas) they administered questionnaires to bankruptcy filers and reviewed their court records.

Dr. David Himmelstein, the lead author of the study and an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard commented: 'Unless you're Bill Gates you're just one serious illness away from bankruptcy. Most of the medically bankrupt were average Americans who happened to get sick.'

Today's health insurance policies -- with high deductibles, co-pays, and many exclusions -- offer little protection during a serious illness. Uncovered medical bills averaged $13,460 for those with private insurance at the start of their illness. People with cancer had average medical debts of $35,878.

'The paradox is that the costliest health system in the world performs so poorly. We waste one-third of every health care dollar on insurance bureaucracy and profits while two million people go bankrupt annually, and we leave 45 million uninsured,' said Dr. Quentin Young, national coordinator of Physicians for a National Health Program.

'With national health insurance ('Medicare for All'), we could provide comprehensive, lifelong coverage to all Americans for the same amount we are spending now and end the cruelty of ruining families financially when they get sick.'"

BANKRUPTCY STATS

HARVARD STUDY LINKS BANKRUPTCY

TO MEDICAL BILLS

http://www.law.harvard.edu/news/2005/02/03_bankruptcy.php

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A9447-2005Feb8.html

Bio of Elizabeth Warren: http://www.law.harvard.edu/faculty/directory/index.html?id=82

FEBRUARY 3, 2005

PROFESSOR ELIZABETH WARREN

Leo Gottlieb Professor of Law, Harvard

(and who has now been appointed, by President Obama, to Chair the five-person Congressional Oversight Panel for the $700-billion-dollar bailout fund)

"Nearly half of all Americans who file for bankruptcy do so because of medical expenses, according to a new study released jointly by researchers at Harvard Law School and Harvard Medical School this week. The study, which is based on surveys of 1,771 individuals filing for bankruptcy, is the first of its kind to gather extensive information on the correlation between medical conditions and expenses and bankruptcy.

'Both doctors and lawyers care about how health care is financed, but it was only when we put our heads together that we could probe further,' explained Elizabeth Warren, professor of law and author of 'The Two-Income Trap'. 'We discovered that in 2004 about two million men, women and children were swept through the bankruptcy system in the fallout of a medical problem. Good educations, decent jobs, and health insurance were no guarantee that a person wouldn't be wiped out by an illness or accident. We believe the current policy debates are overlooking a critical problem: A broken health care finance system is bankrupting middle class America.'

'Our study is fairly shocking,' explained Steffie Woolhandler, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, in an interview with the Chicago Tribune. 'We found that, too often, private health insurance is an umbrella that melts in the rain.'

The study, published in the journal Health Affairs, has been reported in stories in The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal (subscription required), the Chicago Tribune, and others. To learn more, read the full study online at Health Affairs."

WHAT, EXACTLY, DOES HR-676 SAY?

Here is the Bill (HR-676) to read at your leisure. You can also go here, the Library of Congress, to see it in more depth:

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:H.R.676:

HR-676 THE UNITED STATES NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE ACT

or what is commonly called:

'THE EXPANDED AND IMPROVED MEDICARE FOR ALL ACT'

'To provide for comprehensive health insurance coverage for all United States residents, and for other purposes.'

STATUS:

01/24/2007: Referred to House Energy and Commerce

01/24/2007: Referred to House Natural Resources

01/24/2007: Referred to House Ways and Means

01/24/2007: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

01/30/2007: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

02/02/2007: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.


COMMITTEE/SUBCOMMITTEE ACTIVITY:

Energy and Commerce: Referral

Ways and Means: Referral

Health: Referral

1/24/2007-- INTRODUCED: United States National Health Insurance Act (or the Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act)

ESTABLISHES the UNITED STATES NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE (USNHI) PROGRAM (the Program) to provide all individuals residing in the United States and in U.S. territories with free health care that includes all medically necessary care, such as primary care and prevention, prescription drugs, emergency care, and mental health services.

REGISTRATION- Individuals and families shall receive a United States National Health Insurance Card, with a unique number, in the mail after filling out a United States National Health Insurance application form at a health care provider. Such application form shall be no more than 2 pages long. An individual's social security number shall not be used for purposes of registration under this section.

PROHIBITS an institution from participating in the Program unless it is a public or nonprofit institution. Allows nonprofit health maintenance organizations (HMOs) that actually deliver care in their own facilities to participate in the Program.

GIVES patients the freedom to choose from participating physicians and institutions.

PROHIBITS a private health insurer from selling health insurance coverage that duplicates the benefits provided under this Act. Allows such insurers to sell benefits that are not medically necessary, such as cosmetic surgery benefits.

SETS FORTH methods to pay hospitals and health professionals for services. Prohibits financial incentives between HMOs and physicians based on utilization.

ESTABLISHES the USNHI Trust Fund to finance the Program with amounts deposited:

(1) from existing sources of Government revenues for health care;
(2) by increasing personal income taxes on the top 5% income earners;
(3) by instituting a progressive excise tax on payroll and self-employment income; and
(4) by instituting a small tax on stock and bond transactions.

REQUIRES the Program to give first priority in retraining and job placement and unemployment benefits to individuals whose jobs are eliminated due to reduced administration.

ESTABLISHES a National Board of Universal Quality and Access to provide advice on quality, access, and affordability.

PROVIDES for the eventual integration of the Indian Health Service into the Program.

SEC. 102. BENEFITS AND PORTABILITY:

(a) IN GENERAL: The health insurance benefits under this Act cover all medically necessary services, including at least the following:

(1) Primary care and prevention.
(2) Inpatient care.
(3) Outpatient care.
(4) Emergency care.
(5) Prescription drugs.
(6) Durable medical equipment.
(7) Long term care.
(8) Mental health services.
(9) The full scope of dental services (other than cosmetic dentistry).
(10) Substance abuse treatment services.
(11) Chiropractic services.
(12) Basic vision care and vision correction (other than laser vision correction for cosmetic purposes).
(13) Hearing services, including coverage of hearing aids.

(b) PORTIBILITY: Such benefits are available through any licensed health care clinician anywhere in the United States that is legally qualified to provide the benefits.

(c) NO COST-SHARING: No deductibles, copayments, coinsurance, or other cost-sharing shall be imposed with respect to covered benefits.

WHAT IS UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE?

Universal Health-Care is a system of 'Funds Disbursement'.

Or, to put it another way, it's a system for paying your doctor bills, hospital bills, dentist bills, prescriptions, and whatever other medical necessities one has, (vision, hearing, medical appliances such as wheel-chairs, mental health, substance abuse, etc etc).

It is also known as a 'Single-Payer Health-Care' system.

How does it work?

Instead of paying a private Insurance company a 'Premium' to be a part of their program, (a payment which is usually taken directly out of your paycheck), and have them disburse funds to your various medical pratitioners, that same money will, instead, go into a Universal Health-Care fund that is regulated, and administered, by the U.S. government. They will be the ones to disburse the funds to your various practitioners instead of the private Insurance companies doing so.

Why is this a good idea?

Well, unfortunately, it comes down to quite a few reasons. The first being that, even tho you may be covered by a private Insurance plan, the fact is that you, like all of us, are quite underinsured. Should something catastrophic happen, the chances of your private Insurance company covering all the bills is extremely remote. Even on a 70/30 plan, which sounds pretty good, pretty decent, if you need chemo-therapy or open-heart surgery, the balance-due on your end to cover those procedures is astronomical.

Because of this, people go bankrupt. As you will see in the statistical posts to follow, some 1/2 of all people who declare bankruptcy every year (approximately 2-million of them) do so because of medical bills they cannot pay.

Let me continue by listing just some of the many reasons:

• Deductibles
• Co-Pays
• Pre-existing conditions
• Denial of benefits/coverage
• Denial of treatment
• 45-million people uninsured due to high cost of private Insurance
• The majority of the rest of the population underinsured, altho they don't realize it
• Private Insurance tied to one's employer, no portability
• Fiscal distress of American businesses
• High percentage of GDP
• Health Care coverage as a 'for-profit business' compromises doctor/patient relationships
• Our money being used to pay outrageous salaries of Insurance Company top-eschalon
• Our money being used to pay Insurance Company share-holders
• Our money being used to pay private Insurance lobbies to keep Health-Care Disbursement in the hands of profiteers.

Is there a Universal Health Care system in place now?

No, there isn't. All health-care in America falls under the umbrella of private Insurers. Since the private Insurance system is a for-profit business, its focus is on making a buck for itself and its shareholders, and this comes at the expense of the very people who not only foot-the-bill (us), but those who are then left to face the denial of benefits, denial of treatment, etc etc. The for-profit private Insurance business bankrupts, and kills, private citizens; has brought business to its knees; left millions without insurance (with the rest of us underinsured); and is bankrupting the nation as a whole.

This is why President Obama is so adamant about Health-Care Reform. And why you are seeing more and more coverage of the debate over this issue reported on the news.

Is there a Universal Health-Care system already developed?

Yes, there is. It's called HR-676. For those of you who don't know, 'HR' stands for 'House Resolution'. HR-676 was written, and introduced, by Representative John Conyers of Michigan some two-years ago. That's right. Two-years ago. Since then, it has been languishing on everyone's desk, at the bottom of their pile, no doubt.

If there's already a plan for Universal Health-Care called HR-676, why haven't I heard about it?

Good question. I'd like to know the answer to that one myself, *lol*

The best I can come up with is that the private Insurance lobby is very, VERY powerful. They don't want a Single-Payer Universal Health-Care System because that means the gravy-train is over for them. They have done, and are doing, everything in their power to keep people from knowing about HR-676. They are, as we speak, spending YOUR MONEY, (that COULD, and SHOULD, go towards paying for your health-care needs), on negative advertsing, propaganda, and lobbying. And, yes, they are powerful enough to apply extreme pressure on the various mainstream televison newscasts, newspapers, and news magazines to not mention HR-676. That's why you haven't heard about HR-676.

And why I started this blog.

WELCOME TO MY UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE BLOG

This blog has been created for the specific purpose of assisting those seeking statistical and analytical information about Universal Healthcare. You will find here:

• Fiscal considerations relating to Employers, Workers, and Insurance companies;
• The GDP;
• The U.S.'s World-Ranking in healthcare;
• Bankruptcy due to medical distress;
• Petition Sites;
• Organizational Endorsements;
• Political Leadership Endorsements;
• State Legislation and/or Resolutions for Single-Payer;
• What's happening on the Hill - Congressional Bills introduced, etc;
• What's happening in the news regarding Healthcare Reform; and
• Where to go, What to do, and Who to contact to voice your support of a United States Universal Health Care System.

As this blog will be on-going, I will continually add to it as I come across more information and as time allows.

Thank you for visiting this blog. I hope you find the information you need to become more informed about what Universal Health Care is and how it can dramatically improve the lives of all American citizens.