Healing Our Broken Healthcare System Why nurses support a single-payer plan

Healthcare system is broken  47 million are uninsured  Many more are underinsured  U.S. healthcare costs are highest in the world, but we rank 37 th in overall health  Half of the personal bankruptcies filed each year are due to medical expenses: 75% had health insurance at the onset of their illness.

Private insurers make profits  Profits of $15 billion in 2006  Up 1,084% over a period of 5 years!  Average health insurance company CEO made $8.36 million in 2006

Why should nurses care?  Nurses spend the most time with patients  Nurses see first-hand the impact of on patients without adequate insurance  Nurses see the waste of multiple, for-profit healthcare insurers

NYSNA for reform in 1917  Coverage needed for the poor  Public health nurses witnessed impact of poverty  Concern about immigrants

Mobilization for reform  NYSNA resolution passed in 1989  Albany rally in 1990  “New York Health” campaign, 1992

Clinton Reform Plan, 1994  NYSNA president spoke at the White House  Plan died in Congress after insurance industry campaign

NYSNA continued to fight  Supported reform organizations  Delivered testimony  Founded coalitions, including Rekindling Reform and Metro New York Health Care for All  Conducted educational workshops  Endorsed HR676, national single-payer plan

 Everyone agrees reform is needed  Most proposals combine public and private insurance  The government will do something – nurses can choose whether to influence that…or not Today, reform is coming

 Cover everyone  Be accessible to everyone  Provide comprehensive care, from cradle to grave  Be affordable to all Our healthcare system should…

What will accomplish this?  NYSNA believes that the solution to our current health care crisis is a national, single-payer healthcare plan  NYSNA supports H.R. 676 “The United States National Health Insurance Act.”  NYSNA also supports incremental steps toward a national single-payer plan.

Benefits of single-payer plan  One payer greatly reduces administrative costs and profit motive from health coverage  Comprehensive coverage for all medically necessary services  Free choice of providers  Healthcare providers free from corporate dictates over patient care.  Employers free from the cost of providing health benefits.

Financing a single-payer plan  Current funding for Medicare/Medicaid  Modest increase in individual income tax  Offset by savings in premiums, deductibles, co-pays  Increase in employer payroll tax  Offset by savings in payments for employee coverage  Other major savings throughout the system in administrative costs.

Taxes offset by savings  A modest increase in individual taxes would be offset by no longer paying for premiums, co-pays, deductibles.  An increase in employer payroll tax would be offset by no longer paying for employees’ coverage.

Interim/incremental steps  Expand coverage/access while working toward a single-payer system  Examples include: Expand existing public programs (Medicare, Medicaid, SCHIP, Child Health Plus) Simplify enrollment process Protect safety-net facilities/providers  Defend and keep what we’ve got!

Speaking with one voice  Professional associations, consumer groups, business groups, labor unions can all agree on this issue.  Nurses should be prominent in the discussion

Working with coalitions  Healthcare-Now  Capital District Alliance for Universal Healthcare  Labor Campaign for Single-Payer Healthcare  Metro New York Health Care for All  New York Universal Health Care Options Campaign  Rekindling Reform  Healthcare for All New York  Leadership Conference for Guaranteed Healthcare

How to get involved  Stay informed at  Participate in rallies, marches  Lobby your legislators  Share information with colleagues, friends, and family