Urgent: Single Payer on the Table in Energy and Commerce on Thursday

> Urgent: Single Payer on the Table in Energy and Commerce on Thursday
>
> This Thursday, Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) will introduce, in the
> Energy
> and Commerce Committee, an amendment that abolishes private
> insurance and
> creates a national single-payer system that would cover everyone.
> This
> amendment would substitute Rep. John Conyers' (D-MI) single-payer
> bill, HR
> 676, for the current Tri-Committee Health Reform Bill.
>
> If your representative is a member of the Energy & Commerce Committee,
> please call and ask him or her to support Rep. Weiner's single payer
> amendment. Energy & Commerce Committee members can be found at:
> http://energycommerce.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=160&Itemid=61
>
> The Congressional Switchboard can be reached, toll free at
> 800-473-6711.
>
> If your representative is not a member of the Committee, please call
> Committee Chair Henry Waxman at 202-225-3976 and ask him to support
> Weiner's single payer amendment.
> HR 676 would institute a single payer health care system by
> expanding a
> greatly improved Medicare system to everyone residing in the U. S.
>
> HR 676 would cover every person 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, hearing services including hearing aids, chiropractic, durable
> medical equipment, palliative care, and long term care.
>
> HR 676 ends deductibles and co-payments. HR 676 would save hundreds
> of
> billions annually by eliminating the high overhead and profits of the
> private health insurance industry and HMOs.
>
> In the current Congress, HR 676 has 85 co-sponsors in addition to
> Conyers.
> Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has introduced SB 703, a single payer
> bill
> in the Senate.
>
> HR 676 has been endorsed by 552 union organizations in 49 states
> including
> 128 Central Labor Councils and Area Labor Federations and 39 state
> AFL-CIO's (KY, PA, CT, OH, DE, ND, WA, SC, WY, VT, FL, WI, WV, SD,
> NC, MO,
> MN, ME, AR, MD-DC, TX, IA, AZ, TN, OR, GA, OK, KS, CO, IN, AL, CA,
> AK, MI,
> MT, NE, NY, NV & MA).
>
> For further information, a list of union endorsers, or a sample
> endorsement resolution, contact:
>
> Kay Tillow
> All Unions Committee For Single Payer Health Care--HR 676
> c/o Nurses Professional Organization (NPO)
> 1169 Eastern Parkway, Suite 2218
> Louisville, KY 40217
> (502) 636 1551
> Email: nursenpo@aol.com
> http://unionsforsinglepayerHR676.org
> 07/14/09