Healing Our Broken Healthcare System

1. Healing Our BrokenHealthcare System Why nurses support a single-payer plan

2. Healthcare system is broken • 47 million are uninsured • Many more are underinsured • U.S. healthcare costs are highest in the world, but we rank 37th 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.

3. 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

4. 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

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

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

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

8. 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

9. Today, reform is coming • 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

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

11. 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.

12. 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 freefrom corporate dictates over patient care. • Employers free from the cost of providing health benefits.

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. 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!

16. 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

17. 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 Working with coalitions

18. How to get involved • Stay informed at www.nysna.org • Participate in rallies, marches • Lobby your legislators • Share information with colleagues, friends, and family