SR47 S100 SCS

Sponsored by:

Senator LORETTA WEINBERG

District 37 (Bergen)

Senator JOSEPH F. VITALE

District 19 (Middlesex)

Senator RONALD L. RICE

District 28 (Essex)

Co-Sponsored by:

Senator Gordon

SYNOPSIS

Memorializes Congress and President to enact legislation to provide universal health insurance coverage.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

Substitute as adopted by the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee.

A Senate Resolution memorializing Congress and the President of the United States to enact legislation to provide universal health insurance coverage.

Whereas, Every person in New Jersey and the United States deserves equal access to affordable quality health care; and

Whereas, Americans have identified the lack of affordable, guaranteed health care for every citizen as one of the most critical domestic problems; and

Whereas, The inability to provide affordable health care in this country is a crisis of major proportions as millions of people can not afford to go to doctors for routine and preventative health care; and

Whereas, Illness and medical bills contribute to a significant proportion of bankruptcies, affecting more than two million Americans annually, especially those with inadequate or no health insurance; and

Whereas, Americans already pay more per capita for health care than any other nation, almost twice the amount of other industrialized nations, yet according to the World Health Organization, this nation ranks 37th in health system performance; and

Whereas, More than 240,000 children in New Jersey lack health insurance coverage, and according to Families USA, nearly one out of three New Jersey residents lacked health insurance at some point between 2007 and 2008, and the cost of providing health care to these residents has become a burden to New Jersey’s employers, municipalities, and taxpayers; and

Whereas, The Institute of Medicine estimated that the uninsured in New Jersey cost the State an estimated $2.9 billion annually, an amount which exceeds the cost to provide health insurance to these residents; and

Whereas, New Jersey hospitals spent almost $1 billion to provide charity care in FY 2008, with $715 million reimbursed by State taxpayers, expenses that would no longer be necessary under a national health insurance program; and

Whereas, Healthcare NOW estimates that under a national health insurance program such as that proposed in H.R.676, the “United States National Health Care Act or the Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act,” the State of New Jersey could realize $2.5 billion in combined annual savings from reduced health insurance costs for current and retired State employees, and eliminating charity care, enabling the State to offset the loss in revenue the State is experiencing as a result of the current national economic recession; and

Whereas, H.R. 676, which is sponsored by Congressman John Conyers and, as of June 2009, 82 co-sponsors, including Congressman Donald Payne of New Jersey, would assure comprehensive coverage to include, but not be limited to, medically necessary services, including at least the following: hospital, physician, prescription drug, durable medical equipment, long-term care, palliative care, mental health, dental, substance abuse treatment, chiropractic, hearing and podiatric care for all U.S. residents, and would protect the doctor-patient relationship, assure patients a completely free choice of doctors, and allow physicians a free choice of practice settings; and

Whereas, H.R. 676 has the endorsement of 39 out of 50 statewide AFL-CIO federations and 125 Central Labor Councils nationwide, the New Jersey State Industrial Union Council and 15 union organizations in New Jersey, including seven Central Labor Councils and the New Jersey State Federation of Teachers; and

Whereas, It is estimated that the U.S. could save over $350 billion annually with an administratively efficient, single payer national health insurance program that expands the risk pool to the entire U.S. population, negotiates prescription drug and medical supply purchases, reduces administrative costs, and eliminates the need for administration, marketing, and profits associated with private insurance; and

Whereas, According to a CBS/New York Times national poll conducted in 2009, 59% of the public wants national health insurance, and in 2008, the Annals of Internal Medicine reported that 59% of physicians also supported national health insurance, up from 49% six years earlier; and

Whereas, It is clearly time for a universal, single payer health care system, which would improve access to care and reduce health care costs for 95% of American families; and

Whereas, It is in the best interest of this State to support this legislation in order to control health care costs and ensure health care for all residents; now, therefore,

Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey:

1. This House respectfully memorializes the United States Congress and the President of the United States to enact H.R. 676, pending in the 111th Congress, which would provide for universal health care coverage for all individuals residing in the United States and its territories.

2. Duly authenticated copies of this resolution, signed by the President of the Senate and attested by the Secretary thereof, shall be transmitted to the President of the United States, the Speaker and Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives and the majority and minority leaders of the United States Senate, and to every member of Congress elected from this State.