Single-Payer Health Care receives Backing from U.S. Mayors!
On June 23rd, the U.S. Conference of Mayors adopted a resolution that endorses HR 676 which is the National Health Insurance Act. Introduced by Rep. John Conyers, the bill entails expansion of the Medicare system to envelope everyone in the country under a national single-payer health insurance system. This resolution of the mayors’ is being seen as a huge leap forward in the on-going battle for national health care. Around 1,139 American cities which have a population of 30,000 or more had their mayors presiding at this conference.
Sheila Dixon, the mayor of Baltimore said that this resolution carries enormous weight as unlike elected leaders; the mayors of cities are closer to their people at the grass root level. Citizens who had gathered at the conference showed much appreciation for this step taken by their mayors.
The bills’ advocates say that this step would ensure universal coverage of all health necessary services, reduce costs by ridding itself of the bureaucracy and provide patients with a free choice of doctors to be at their disposal. The nation’s mayors took this step looking at the huge amount of money that is being spent on health care with no visible results while they are running short of money to restore infrastructure and rebuild. All resources are being channeled to health care leading to major cuts in road repairs, fire protection, parks and police etc. which are equally necessary.
The advocates of the bill who are now backed by hundreds of labor organizations, physicians and nurses’ groups along with the mayors, say that the HR 676 will both save money and reduce costs by replacing the numerous private insurance agencies with a single-payer health insurance program.
