Kucinich: A Realistic, Affordable Healthcare Reform Bill
[10/04/07]
The need for healthcare and health insurance reform is front and center in the now heating up contest for the democratic nominee for the White House. As the Primaries loom, at every forum, meeting, or debate the question seemingly second only to questions involving the war in Iraq is “What are you going to do about affordable health insurance?”
Though certainly not a particular popular view on the right side, Denis Kucinich is the only candidate who believes the real solution to affordable health benefits is to take the profit out of healthcare. He has not only proposed a plan as a presidential candidate, but along with Representative John Conyers, he has put forth a Resolution calling for non-profit, single payer health insurance run by the Federal Government. His legislation would provide affordable health insurance coverage for all Americans.
The Bill known as the US National Health Insurance Act, is the most sweeping and comprehensive plan for single payer health insurance ever conceived. Under the proposal all health services including treatments for mental illness, vision and dental care would be covered. And everybody would have access to the health insurance plan without copays, or premiums to pay.
The bill has over 70 cosponsors and has been endorsed by several healthcare organizations, including the California Nurses Association. Many labor unions as well as state and local officials have expressed their support of Kucinich’s affordable health insurance for all idea.
Kucinich understands that passage of his resolution requires a fundamental change in the way Americans think about health insurance and healthcare. But with such a change can come major cost savings. According to the democratic dark horse candidate, we spend over 2 trillion dollars a year within the current “for profit” healthcare and health insurance model. Kucinich claims that more than 30% of that money goes to non-healthcare related expenses, such as executive salaries and stockholder dividends. That is more than 600 billion dollars a year that does not go directly to providing any kind of healthcare, according to Kucinich. He says these numbers clearly show that indeed Americans are already paying for a national healthcare and health insurance system, it is just a grossly inefficient and wasteful one – something his bill intends to change.
Though certainly not a particular popular view on the right side, Denis Kucinich is the only candidate who believes the real solution to affordable health benefits is to take the profit out of healthcare. He has not only proposed a plan as a presidential candidate, but along with Representative John Conyers, he has put forth a Resolution calling for non-profit, single payer health insurance run by the Federal Government. His legislation would provide affordable health insurance coverage for all Americans.
The Bill known as the US National Health Insurance Act, is the most sweeping and comprehensive plan for single payer health insurance ever conceived. Under the proposal all health services including treatments for mental illness, vision and dental care would be covered. And everybody would have access to the health insurance plan without copays, or premiums to pay.
The bill has over 70 cosponsors and has been endorsed by several healthcare organizations, including the California Nurses Association. Many labor unions as well as state and local officials have expressed their support of Kucinich’s affordable health insurance for all idea.
Kucinich understands that passage of his resolution requires a fundamental change in the way Americans think about health insurance and healthcare. But with such a change can come major cost savings. According to the democratic dark horse candidate, we spend over 2 trillion dollars a year within the current “for profit” healthcare and health insurance model. Kucinich claims that more than 30% of that money goes to non-healthcare related expenses, such as executive salaries and stockholder dividends. That is more than 600 billion dollars a year that does not go directly to providing any kind of healthcare, according to Kucinich. He says these numbers clearly show that indeed Americans are already paying for a national healthcare and health insurance system, it is just a grossly inefficient and wasteful one – something his bill intends to change.
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