Congressmen Sanders and McDermott to Introduce Single Payer, Medicare-for-All Health Care Bill today

[Better Believe It]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 10, 2011
7:50 AM
CONTACT: Congressman Jim McDermott and Senator Bernie Sanders

Michael Briggs (Sanders) 202-224-5141
Kinsey Kiriakos (McDermott) 202 226-1936
Josh Goldstein (AFL-CIO) 202 637-5219


Sanders and McDermott to Introduce Labor-Backed Single Payer, Medicare-for-All Health Care Bill

WASHINGTON - May 10 - Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.) will hold a press conference today to announce the introduction of single-payer health care bills in the Senate and House.

They will be joined by leaders of the AFL-CIO and other organizations supporting the measure.

Who: Sen. Bernie Sanders; Rep. Jim McDermott; Arlene Baker-Holt, executive vice president of the AFL-CIO; Jean Ross, co-president of the National Nurses United; and Greg Junemann, president of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers.

What: News Conference on The American Health Security Act of 2011

When: 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Where: Senate Swamp, across from the Capitol’s Senate Steps (map here).
###

http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2011/05/10

[aquart]

1. Kiss them for me.

With bright red lipstick.

[snappyturtle]

2. ah YES! nt

[Deep13]

3. Great idea, but don't appropriation bills have to start in the House? nt

[ProSense]

4. Sanders to introduce single-payer bill

Sanders to introduce single-payer bill

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.) will introduce a bill Tuesday to establish a single-payer healthcare system.

The bill would establish state-based programs to administer coverage and set payment rates for providers. A federal board would set criteria for those offices. The new system would replace Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program and insurance exchanges established under the Obama administration's healthcare reform law.

It would be funded through a series of tax increases on businesses and individuals, as well as money that otherwise would have been set aside for subsidies and tax credits under healthcare reform.

<...>

[jpak]

5. K&R

:bounce:

[plumbob]

6. Excellent! Now we're talkin'

Please?

[Shagbark Hickory]

7. Its the thought that counts.

Will this be televised on cspan?

[BlueDemKev]

8. I would do this....

...if and when--God Forbid--the Supreme Court strikes down the Affordable Care Act. Single-payer is a non-starter right now.

[Better Believe It]

9. The Health Insurance Industry and Big Pharma Protection Act will be opposed by most working people .

once all of it's elements and private insurance mandate come into play. But, it might be struck down by the Supreme Court before before then.

[Better Believe It]

10. Massachusetts Nurses Association Supports the American Health Security Act of 2011

Massachusetts Nurses Association: American Health Security Act of 2011
NEWS RELEASE

"The Massachusetts Nurses Association today praised Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Representative Jim McDermott (D-WA), for introducing the American Health Security Act."

The Act establishes a national healthcare program that requires each participating state to set up and administer comprehensive health care services as an entitlement for all through a progressively financed, single-payer system, as administered by the states. Benefits emphasize primary and preventive care, and free choice of providers. Private health insurance sold by for-profit companies continues in the form of supplemental coverage only.

The American Health Security Act of 2011 has the support of National Nurses United, the Massachusetts Nurses Association, the Labor Caucus for Single-Payer and its member unions, the Labor Campaign for Single Payer, and the AFL-CIO which, at its convention in Pittsburgh in 2009, unanimously passed Resolution 34 in support of single-payer health care under a social insurance model and recently reaffirmed its support in its executive council resolution addressing national deficit reduction (March 2011).

"Providing a single standard of high quality care for all is a priority for registered nurses who have seen their abilities to act as patient advocates made more difficult as for-profit interests control more patient care decisions. We commend Senator Sanders and Representative McDermott for their vision and passion to help registered nurses create a more just healthcare system through the American Health Security Act and applaud our brothers and sisters in labor for their support," said Donna Kelly-Williams, R.N. president of the Massachusetts Nurses Association.

The Act is a manifestation of Congressional findings, including the finding that between 2008 and 2009 an additional four million Americans became uninsured, bringing the total of uninsured Americans to over 51 million, or more than 1 of every 6 Americans. Businesses are relieved of the burdens of health care administration under the new law.

The Program amends the tax code to create the American Health Security Trust Fund and appropriates to the Fund specified tax revenues, current health program receipts, and tax credits and subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. The tax revenues include a new health care income tax, an employer payroll tax, a surcharge on high income individuals, and a tax on securities and other financial transactions. Transaction taxes include language consistent with other labor efforts around the globe to more fairly fund programs of social uplift.

The federal government would collect and distribute all funds to the states and administrative expenses would be capped at three percent. Each state would have the choice to either administer its own program or have the federal Board administer it.

Speaking on behalf of the MNA, Kelly-Williams said the nurses' union would work hard to enlist the support of the states' senators and representatives in Congress for the legislation, adding that "Nurses understand that we need a health care system that puts patients first and gets rid of the for profit insurance companies."

Founded in 1903, the Massachusetts Nurses Association is the largest professional health care organization and the largest union of registered nurses in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Its 23,000 members advance the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the economic and general welfare of nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and by lobbying the Legislature and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and the public. The MNA is also a founding member of National Nurses United, the largest national nurses union in the United States with more than 150,000 members from coast to coast.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/massachusetts-nurses-association-american-health-security-act-of-2011-121562763.html

[Better Believe It]

11. From "The Hill"

Sanders to introduce single-payer bill
By Sam Baker
May 9, 2011

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.) will introduce a bill Tuesday to establish a single-payer healthcare system.

The bill would establish state-based programs to administer coverage and set payment rates for providers. A federal board would set criteria for those offices. The new system would replace Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program and insurance exchanges established under the Obama administration's healthcare reform law.

It would be funded through a series of tax increases on businesses and individuals, as well as money that otherwise would have been set aside for subsidies and tax credits under healthcare reform.

http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-insurance/159957-sanders-to-introduce-single-payer-bill

[Better Believe It]

12. "Single payer health: it's only fair" by Senator Bernie Sanders

Single payer health: it's only fair
By Bernie Sanders
May 10, 2011

The United States is the only major nation in the industrialized world that does not guarantee health care as a right to its people. Meanwhile, we spend about twice as much per capita on health care and, in a wide number of instances, our outcomes are not as good as others that spend far less.

It is time that we bring about a fundamental transformation of the American health-care system. It is time for us to end private, for-profit participation in delivering basic coverage. It is time for the United States to provide a Medicare-for-all, single payer health coverage program.

Let's face it: until we put patients over profits, our system will not work for ordinary Americans.

It is incomprehensible that drug companies still get away with charging Americans twice as much, or more, than citizens of Canada or Europe for the exact same drugs manufactured by the exact same companies. It is an outrage that insurers still often hike premiums 20%, 40% and 60% a year on individual policy holders; and some insurers still spend 40 cents of every premium dollar on administration and profits while lavishing multimillion-dollar payouts on their CEOs.

Please read the full article at:

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Single-payer-health-it-s-by-Bernie-Sanders-110510-753.html