Health Care for Everyone

by   |  September 27, 2006

Congress asked Americans what they thought about our broken national health care system. Their answer, including that of more than 20,000 AFSCME members, was clear: we want affordable health care for everyone. A federal commission called the Citizens’ Health Care Working Group was tasked with compiling the opinions of average citizens and issuing recommendations on health care reform. Its findings were consistent with AFSCME’s positions: • Cost control: Contain costs instead of shifting the cost to workers and guarantee financial protection against very high health care costs; • Coverage: Provide access to insurance coverage for everyone; • Quality: Emphasize quality to improve outcomes and decrease costs from medical errors; • Fairness: Everyone must share in financing of health care. When approximately 46 million Americans lack health coverage, it's more than time to do something. Just like millions of working families, AFSCME believes health care for all should be a national priority. This report should be a wake up call to Congress and President Bush to act accordingly.