* WARNING: THIS IS AN UNOFFICIAL, INTRODUCTORY COPY OF THE BILL.
THE OFFICIAL COPY CONSIDERED BY THE CITY COUNCIL IS THE FIRST READER COPY.
INTRODUCTORY*
CITY OF BALTIMORE
COUNCIL BILL R
(Resolution)
Introduced by: Councilmember Clarke
A RESOLUTION ENTITLED
A COUNCIL RESOLUTION concerning
Title
Martin Luther King National Healthcare Month
FOR the purpose of expressing support for Representative John Conyers, Jr.'s legislation that seeks to ensure that guaranteed by law, all Americans, will have access to the highest quality, cost effective health care from birth to death regardless of an individual's employment, income, or health care status; and urging the Maryland State Delegation to the 112th Congress to secure final passage of the legislation.
Body
Recitals
April is Martin Luther King National Health Care Month. The United States' health care system is currently in a state of crisis. The cost of private health insurance premiums is rising by more than 10% each year, which is much greater than the yearly increase in wages. Each year, more employers either drop health insurance benefits or shift more of the burden to the employees by requiring higher contributions or higher deductibles. Each year, more workers find they are unable to afford health insurance. When employees are required to pay more for health care, they forego needed preventive care and timely treatment of medical conditions.
The United States is the only industrialized country in the world without a national health care system. The United States ranks 37th in the world, at the bottom of all industrialized nations, in health outcomes. The U.S. has double the infant mortality and maternal mortality rates of other industrialized nations. The U.S. has a lower life expectancy than other industrialized nations.
Despite the fact that Maryland is the 2nd wealthiest state in the U.S., the number of uninsured has grown to 810,000, and Maryland ranks 32nd in the U.S. in health outcomes.
The United States National Insurance Act (HR676) establishes a national health insurance program by creating a single payer health care system. The bill creates a publicly financed, privately delivered health care program that expands and improves upon the existing Medicare program and makes it available to all residents of the United States and the U.S. territories. Persons enrolled in the program would not be subject to co-pays or deductibles. The legislation addresses the needs of the over 46 million uninsured and over 40 million under-insured Americans who do not benefit from the current inefficient, costly, and fragmented health care delivery system.
It is expected that the United States National Health Insurance Act will reduce overall annual health care spending by $109 billion. The average cost to an employer for an employee earning $35,000 per year will be reduced to less than $100 a month and a family who pays $5-7,000 a year in health insurance will pay less than $50 a month. Total household expenditures would drop from $326.7 billion to $65.9 billion annually. National Health Insurance will cover all medically necessary services, including primary care, preventive care, in-patient care, out-patient care, emergency room care, prescription drugs, durable medical equipment, long term care, mental health services, dentistry, eye care, chiropractic, and substance abuse treatment. Patients will have their choice of physicians, health care providers, hospitals, clinics, and group practices. To ensure conversion to a non-profit health care system, private health insurers will be prohibited from selling coverage that duplicates the benefits of the National Health Insurance program. They will not, however, be prohibited from selling coverage for any additional benefits not covered by the Act such as cosmetic surgery and other elective and medically unnecessary surgery and treatments.
The National Health Insurance Act will set annual reimbursement rates and provide an annual lump sum allotment to each existing Medicare region that will then administer the program. Payments to health care providers will include fee-for-service and global budgets. The conversion to this not-for-profit health care system is expected to take place over a 15-year period and will be financed through the sale of U.S. Treasury bonds. The United States Congress will establish annual funding appropriations for basic operating costs of the program that will operate under the auspices of the Department of Health and Human Services and be administered by the former Medicare offices. All current expenditures for public health insurance programs will be enveloped by the National Health Insurance program. Other funding for the program will come from modest payroll taxes on employers and employees and a higher health income tax on the wealthiest 5% of Americans. There is no reason for anyone in this country to go without the basic health care coverage that sustains life.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF BALTIMORE, That this Body supports Representative John Conyers, Jr.'s legislation that seeks to ensure that guaranteed by law, all Americans, will have access to the highest quality, cost effective health care from birth to death regardless of an individual's employment, income, or health care status; and urging the Maryland State Delegation to the 112th Congress to secure final passage of the legislation.
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be sent to the Mayor, the members of the Maryland State Delegation to the 112th United States Congress, the members of the Baltimore City Delegation to the 2007 Maryland General Assembly, the Baltimore City Health Commissioner, and the Mayor's Legislative Liaison to the City Council.
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