First Labor Council In New York Endorses House Bill for National Health Insurance

Troy, NY - The Troy Area Labor Council, representing 10,000 union members in Rensselaer County, unanimously endorsed HR 676 at its January meeting. If enacted, this legislation would institute a single payer health care system in the U.S. by expanding a greatly improved Medicare system to every resident.

After the vote, council president Mike Keenan said "The Troy Area Labor Council finds it embarrassing that the U.S. is the only industrialized nation in the world that fails to provide universal health care. This failure not only has the U.S. ranked low among nations in having a healthy population, but also a healthy economy as the recent problems in the U.S. auto industry indicate. The profits of the so-called health & insurance industries should not come before the well-being of the American people."

HR 676 now has 64 congressional co-sponsors, including Congressmen McNulty and Hinchey. It would cover every person in the U. S. for 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. HR 676 would save billions annually by eliminating high overhead and profits of the private health insurance industry and HMOs.