All Unions Committee For Single Payer Health Care, July 9, 2012

Irvin Calliste, President, Memphis AFL-CIO Labor Council, reports that the council has endorsed HR.676, national single payer health care legislation sponsored by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI). Memphis Congressman Steve Cohen is one of the 76 co-sponsors of this legislation which is also called “Expanded and Improved Medicare for All.” The Memphis council is the third one in Tennessee to endorse HR.676. The Knoxville-Oak Ridge Area and the Nashville and Middle Tennessee labor councils, as well as the Tennessee AFL-CIO, did so earlier.

HR.676 would institute a single payer health care system by expanding a greatly improved Medicare to everyone residing in the US. 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 (including oral surgery, periodontics, endodontics), mental health, home health, physical therapy, rehabilitation (including for substance abuse), vision care and correction, hearing services including hearing aids, chiropractic, durable medical equipment, palliative care, podiatric 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 76 co-sponsors in addition to Conyers.

HR.676 has been endorsed by 593 union organizations including 142 Central Labor Councils and Area Labor Federations and 40 state AFL-CIOs (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, NJ, 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://unionsforsinglepayer.org