Resolution Supporting a Single Payer System for Health Care Reform

                                                                         

 Passed by The Executive Committee of the Democratic Party of Denver (44-4), August 18, 2009

 

1. WHEREAS, access to quality health care is essential for the good health and productivity of every Coloradan and it is an issue of ethics and fairness that such care be provided to every person, and

 

2. WHEREAS, the steadily increasing cost of health care is causing individual financial hardships, bankruptcy, and mortgage foreclosures, causing business to be uncompetitive in the world market and making it difficult to decrease the national deficit; and while the U.S. spends more than any other industrialized country for health care, the U.S. has demonstrably inferior outcomes, even for the insured; and

 

3. WHEREAS, The World Health Organization has evaluated the health care systems of the developed countries in the world and has ranked our system as 37^th in the world. This ranking is based on America’s lower ratio of child immunization, shorter life span, higher rate of infant mortality, large number of people who are not served, and other factors. Approximately 20,000 Americans die each year because they cannot get health care services. Approximately 534,000 Americans go bankrupt each year because of major medical expenses. Personal bankruptcy due to medical expenses is unheard of in most European countries; and 

 

4. WHEREAS, the current commercial market model mediated by private health insurance corporations must function to create profits for the companies, their administrators and shareholders, creating an unavoidable conflict-of-interest between promoting quality health care and maximizing their profits, and currently diverts up to 25% of the insurance premium dollar from medical services and leaves 46 million people uninsured, and

 

5. WHEREAS, the number of uninsured in Colorado is estimated to have risen to 880,000 or 19% of the population in 2009; and  

 

6. WHEREAS, in 2006 the Colorado General Assembly established the 208 Commission for Health Care Reform to study the State’s health care problems and to prepare possible solutions. The Commission hired the Lewin Group, a health care consulting company, to make background studies of the State’s situation and make recommendations for a better care system; and  

 

7. WHEREAS, the Lewin Group evaluated five Commission proposals in 2007 and concluded that only the single payer proposal had the ability to save State money - $1.4 billion while providing comprehensive health care to all residents of Colorado; and

 

8. WHEREAS, the Lewin Group estimated that the single payer system would save businesses $2.34 billion, thereby allowing businesses to compete on an equal footing in the global marketplace; and

 

9. WHEREAS, the capacity of Congress to provide comprehensive health care coverage for all and decrease costs is limited by their refusal to consider single payer financing and by the health insurance and pharmaceutical industries spending 1.4 million dollars each day on lobbyists and marketing to thwart a public option; and

10. WHEREAS, the Colorado Democratic Party Platform of 2008 states as follows:   “The health of our citizens is essential to the health of our nation. Our health care system should be focused proactively on health promotion, preventative medicine, public health, and disease prevention, as well as primary care. We support implementation of a quality universal single-payer health care system, independent of employment;” and

 

11. WHEREAS, the time for health care reform is now – it is among the most pressing concerns of Colorado citizens.

 

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Executive Committee supports the adoption of legislation to be presented in the 2010 Colorado General Assembly which will establish a single payer system similar to that proposed in HB 09-1273, the Colorado Guaranteed Health Care Act. This Act would have established a health care authority responsible for designing and creating a comprehensive health care system through a phased-in approach

 

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Chair of the Democratic Party of Denver join with the Chair of the State Democratic Party to present this Resolution to Gov. Ritter and his staff, and strongly recommend that the governor support single payer system legislation presented in the 2010 Legislative Session. 

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the County Chair advise Representative DeGette, Senator Udall and Senator Bennet about this Resolution and urge them to strongly support The National Health Care Act, H.R. 676; The American Health Security Act, S. 703; and the Kucinich Amendment to H.R. 3200.