The Delegates Assembly endorses HR 676.
The Delegates’ Assembly, voted unanimously October 8th to endorse HR 676, the national single payer health care bill introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D MI).
Following the vote 1199C President Henry Nicholas said: “No one has been more out front on single payer than our union. More than 77 million people will be without health care insurance as a result of the current economic collapse. We need HR 676 now more than ever.”
Walter Tsou, MD, a past national president of Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP) and past president of the American Public Health Association, addressed the Delegates Assembly on the issue of single payer prior to the vote.
HR 676 would institute a single payer health care system in the U.S. by expanding a greatly improved Medicare system to every resident.
HR 676 would cover every person in the U. S. 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.
HR 676 ends deductibles and co-payments. HR 676 would save billions annually by eliminating the high overhead and profits of the private health insurance industry and HMOs.
HR 676 currently has 93 co-sponsors in addition to Conyers. Co-sponsors and bill text are here:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:h.r.00676
HR 676 has been endorsed by 469 union organizations in 49 states including 116 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).
Click here to view photos* of the signing for Health Care for All.
* all photos courtesy of Steve Robinson
For more 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
(502) 636 1551
Email: nursenpo@aol.com