Union: Support health care bill
Local labor group in favor of public health coverageBy LARRY RINGLER Tribune Chronicle
Rising medical costs - and painful decisions for people without health insurance - mean the nation needs public health coverage contained in a Congressional bill, a union that represents health care workers said Wednesday.
Local labor leader and registered nurse Tom Connelly said he's seen patients without coverage or with too little coverage face the choice of getting a test they'll have to pay for or risk their health by rejecting it.
''It's not fair to ask someone to fight for their life, then fight for their financial life,'' said Connelly, president of 450-member American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees/United Nurses of America Local 2026 at Trumbull Memorial Hospital in Warren.
''It's a moral issue,'' he added. ''I see people who lack coverage or are left out because of a pre-existing condition, lost their job or have to move. I believe as citizens of this great country, we can do better.''
Connelly noted health care is directly tied with the economy, as shown in the Chapter 11 bankruptcy of Trumbull Memorial's parent, Forum Health, which incurs millions of dollars a year in expenses to treat people with little or no health care.
''We can't afford the heavy burden of people who are uninsured or underinsured,'' he said. ''We care for the people and someone gets stuck with the bill.''
Union officials urged people to voice support for the health care reform bill, which the House of Representatives may vote on this weekend. The 10-year, $1.2 trillion bill is projected to extend medical coverage to tens of millions of people, including those with pre-existing conditions by banning insurers from denying coverage.
The legislation, which is seen expanding coverage to 96 percent of eligible Americans, also will allow people to buy a government insurance plan, which lawmakers hope will pressure private insurers to lower costs.
Union officials said the House bill would help ease the number of bankruptcies related to medical costs, cap out-of-pocket expenses at $10,000 and help certain senior citizens who have to pay all of their prescription drug costs while still paying the premium for drug coverage.
They said it also would help small-business owners by leveling the competitive field with businesses that don't offer health care coverage to workers.
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insider
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11-06-09 6:10 PM
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Why am I not shocked, that a person, who represents government workers, supports a bill that mandates government health insurance for everyone? An organization that has a monopoly on labor, wants to impose monopoly health care on all Americans? Not so fast. The 13th amendment to the constitution disallowed involuntary servitude. You socialists can make the health decisions about my body, when its room temperature!
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thinkright
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11-05-09 7:05 AM
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Tom, Why don't you explain why its a tax plan not an insurance plan.,.Private insurance will be taxed, that means most of the people, all retiress will be taxed, some as high as $21,000. St Joseph/St E's give away(FREE) more health care than Forum, so don't use the government tax plan when discussing Forum problems, it doesn't wash. Obama will do away with medicare,and replace it with a third-world version of Medicaid..Also, This bill completely destroys the privacy between patient and physican. If its so good, why isn't Obama, Pelosi and Reid participating????
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