San Francisco Labor Council Unanimously Passes Resolution in Support of SB840
Resolution in Support of SB840, the California Health Insurance Reliability Act (Kuehl’s Health Care Plan to Cover All California’s) & HR 676, the United States National Health Insurance Act
On Monday, July 10, the San Francisco Labor Council unanimously passed the following resolution in support of California Senate Bill 840, the California Health Insurance Reliability Act and House Resolution 676, the United States National Health Insurance Act.
Whereas, California’s health care system is in decline as evidenced by steeply rising health insurance premiums, increasing numbers of uninsured who will soon represent 1 in every 4 Americans, and declining quality of care for both insured and uninsured California’s; and
Whereas, a lack of health insurance is a substantial barrier to receiving health care and has been a proven cause of poor health outcomes and increase mortality; and
Whereas, most insured are members of working families whose employers do not provide health insurance benefits; and
Whereas, people who have insurance are very worried of losing it due to declining employer offered coverage and employment instability; and
Whereas, health insurance premiums are growing by double digit margins each year such that growth in health care spending is the single greatest problem facing California’s economy; and
Whereas, the United States is the last industrial nation in the world yet to establish a health care plan to cover all residents and the United States spends twice as much on health care as every other industrial nation; and
Whereas, Senate Bill 840 (Kuehl) is California’s plan to establish a system of health insurance for every resident of the state, while stabilizing the growth in health care spending, and improving quality at the same time; and
Whereas, current spending is plenty of money to cover all residents with comprehensive health benefits under this model. The problem is not that we do not spend enough money, it is that we waste so much of what we do spend; and
Whereas, this model has been tested in every other industrial nation in the world, and in the United States through Medicare and Veterans Administration; and
Whereas, this model is funded by consolidating all public monies spent on health care and replacing the premiums, co-payments and deductibles paid to insurance companies with premiums paid to this system; and
Whereas, an independent financial analysis found that the cost of providing coverage to the uninsured and underinsured would be more than offset by savings resulting from administrative implication bulk purchasing of prescription. This analysis also determined that his model would provide savings to California businesses, consumers and government; and
Whereas this single-payer medical model has also been introduced by Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (HR676) has been endorsed by 154 union organizations including 28 central labor councils, two state AFL-CIO Federations (Kentucky and Pennsylvania), 3 area labor federations and most recently the United Auto Workers (UAW), International Union, AFL-CIO.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the San Francisco Labor Council supports the passage of SB 840 and HR 676 and urges the State Legislature and the Governor to adopt this critical legislation; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the San Francisco Labor Council urges all of its local unions and affiliates to support the passage of SB 840; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the San Francisco Labor Council submits this resolution to the 2006 California State Federation of Labor’s Bi-Annual COPE Convention for its support; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the San Francisco Labor Council will continue to educate, organize, mobilize and lobby for support of SB840, a single-payer system, as the best solution to California’s health care crisis.