HR 676--National Health Insurance bill before Congress

But what we really need is...
HR 676--National Health Insurance bill before Congress
February 2006

Congresswoman Corinne Brown is the most recent Florida Congressmember to sign onto House Resolution 676, the United States National Health Insurance Act (or the Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act). Establishes the United States National Health Insurance Program to provide all individuals residing in the United States and in U.S. territories with health care that includes all medically necessary care, such as primary care and prevention, prescription drugs, emergency care, and mental health services.

It would eliminate private insurance company meddling in our care, as well as all the deductibles and denials of care we currently face with our patchwork of for-profit insurance company coverage.

To give you an idea of what a universal system is like, here is an example from England, where they've had health care for everyone since shortly after World War II (like most industrialized countries, England has a system that is free of insurance companies and free of charge to patients.)

This was sent to us by Hal Stahmer, a member of the Right to Health Care Coalition here in Gainesville: The following is a direct quote from the British National Health Service booklet available in any local pharmacy in Great Britain:

"The National Health Service is for the benefit of people resident in the UK. Any patient ordinarily resident in the UK may look to the NHS for treatment and not be liable for charges with the exception of a £6.50* [about $12] charge for each prescription.

Age groups eligible for free prescriptions:
--aged 60 or over
--under 16
--aged 16, 17 or 18 in full-time education
--are pregnant or have had a baby in the previous 12 months."

We could compare that to the nightmare of the prescription drug "benefit" which Bush has put onto Medicare, which has had the effect of denying people coverage who used to have coverage, and has put billions of public dollars in the pockets of private drug and insurance companies while people are struggling to get health care and prescriptions, in some cases to stay alive.

Meanwhile, people under 65 are left to fend for themselves in the maze of insurance companies and job-based benefits plans with their restrictions, enormous costs, and voluminous paperwork. Because of the profits taken by insurance companies, our health care has been made the most expensive in the world. HR 676 would redirect all those health care dollars that are going to paperwork and insurance companies and put them towards patient care.

The Alachua County Labor Party is spreading the word about HR 676. If you are interested in getting involved, please call 352 375-2832 or write MarkP@floridalaborparty.org (Mark Piotrowski) or visit www.justhealthcare.org