More Unions for Single-Payer

Kay Tillow of Unions for Single-Payer HR676 has an inspiring steadiness of purpose. She's like Elinor Christiansen, MD, of Health Care for All Colorado in that she's been at this for decades. Most of us would throw our hands up at some point, buy a sailboat and head for Bali. Enough!

Not Kay or Elinor.

I get Kay's email blasts a couple times a week -- about big news, like the Executive Council of the California AFL-CIO unanimously endorsing HR 676, (With 2.1 million plus members the CA Federation is the largest state affiliate of the AFL-CIO.)

California was the thirty-second state to endorse HR676 -- Alabama was the 31st a couple weeks ago.

Kay also emails about local steps, like these endorsers of HR676:

• In Charleston, SC, Local 502, Coastal Carolina Association of Professional Musicians voted to endorse HR676,
• In El Segundo, CA, the Executive Board of Transport Workers Union Local 564 voted to endorse HR676,
• In Louisville, KY, the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) voted to endorse, and
• In San Francisco, CA, the Sailors’ Union of the Pacific voted to endorse.

HR 676 would bring universal health care to the U.S. through a single-payer financing mechanism, a bit like a greatly improved Medicare for all.

It would cover all necessary medical care, including prescription drugs, hospital, surgical, outpatient services, primary and preventive care, emergency services, dental, mental health, home health, physical therapy, rehabilitation (including for
substance abuse), vision care, chiropractic and long term care. HR 676 ends deductibles and co-payments. It would save billions annually by eliminating the high overhead and profits of the private health insurance industry and HMOs.

HR 676 currently has 87 co-sponsors in addition to Conyers.