From: Subject: D048 - Health Care: Adoption of a "Single Payer" Universal Health Care Program Date: Fri, 17 Jul 2009 17:13:45 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="utf-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://gc2009.org/ViewLegislation/view_leg_detail.aspx?id=1005&type=Final X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.5579 =EF=BB=BF D048 - Health Care: Adoption of a "Single Payer" = Universal Health Care Program
* FINAL VERSION - = Concurred=20
Resolution: D048
Title: Adoption of a "Single Payer" Universal Health Care=20 Program
Topic: Health Care
Committee: 09 - National and International Concerns
House of Initial Action: Deputies
Proposer: The Rev. Gary Commins

Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring, That the 76th = Convention of=20 the Episcopal Church urge passage of federal legislation establishing a = "single=20 payer" universal health care program which would provide health care = coverage=20 for all of the people of the United States; and be it further

Resolved, That the General Convention direct the Office of = Government=20 Relations to assess, negotiate, and deliberate the range of proposed = federal=20 health care policy options in the effort to reach the goal of universal = health=20 care coverage, and to pursue short-term, incremental, innovative, and = creative=20 approaches to universal health care until a "single payer" universal = health care=20 program is established; and be it further

Resolved, That the Episcopal Church shall work with other = people of=20 good will to finally and concretely realize the goal of universal health = care=20 coverage; and be it further

Resolved, That church members and the Office of Government = Relations=20 communicate the position of the Episcopal Church on this issue to the = President=20 and Members of Congress, and advocate passage of legislation consistent = with=20 this resolution.


EXPLANATION

The Episcopal Church, along with = several=20 other denominations in the National Council of Churches, previously = called upon=20 the Congress and the President to ensure universal access to health care = for all=20 people in the United States by the end of 2006.

That deadline has = now=20 passed, and the situation is worse than ever. More than 47 million = people in the=20 U. S. are currently without health insurance, more than 75 million went = without=20 for some length of time within the last two years, and millions more = have=20 inadequate coverage or are at risk of losing coverage. People of color,=20 immigrants and women are denied care at disproportionate rates, while = the=20 elderly and many others must choose between necessities and life = sustaining=20 drugs and care. Unorganized workers have either no or inadequate = coverage. The=20 Institute of Medicine has found that each year more than 18,000 in the = U. S. die=20 because they had no health insurance.

While we in the United = States spend=20 more than twice as much of our gross domestic product as other developed = nations=20 on health care ($7,129 per capita), we remain the only industrialized = country=20 without universal coverage, and the United States performs poorly in = comparison=20 on major health indicators such as life expectancy, infant mortality and = immunization rates.
Almost one-third (31 percent) of the money spent = on=20 health care in the United States goes to administrative costs. = Single-payer=20 financing is the best way to recapture this wasted money. The potential = savings=20 on paperwork, more than $350 billion per year, are enough to provide=20 comprehensive coverage to everyone without paying any more than we = already=20 do.
Under a single-payer system, all Americans would be covered for = all=20 medically necessary services, including: doctor, hospital, long-term = care,=20 mental health, dental, vision, prescription drug and medical supply = costs.=20 Patients would regain free choice of doctor and hospital, and doctors = would=20 regain autonomy over patient care.
Physicians would be paid = fee-for-service=20 according to a negotiated formulary or receive salary from a hospital or = nonprofit HMO / group practice. Hospitals would receive a global budget = for=20 operating expenses. Health facilities and expensive equipment purchases = would be=20 managed by regional health planning boards.
A single-payer system = would be=20 financed by eliminating private insurers and recapturing their = administrative=20 waste. Modest new taxes would replace premiums and out-of-pocket = payments=20 currently paid by individuals and business. Costs would be controlled = through=20 negotiated fees, global budgeting and bulk purchasing.


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