January 30th, 2009

Healthcare for All Pennsylvania: Philadelphia City Council votes to support the single-payer healthcare solution.

Text of Jan. 29 press release.

City Council unanimously endorses the only State (HB 1660/SB 300) and National Bills that Guarantee Comprehensive, Quality, Affordable Healthcare for All

Earlier today, groups representing doctors, nurses, medical students, and labor unions successfully lobbied Philadelphia City Council to pass a resolution in support of the Single Payer Healthcare Solution. The resolution, sponsored by Councilman Greenlee and Councilwoman Tasco, specifically embraced Rep. Kathy Manderino’s HB 1660, Senator Jim Ferlo’s SB 300, and Congressman John Conyers’ HR 676.

The victory was the second critical breakthrough for Pennsylvania citizens in the span of a week. The first triumph was last week’s blocked merger of Philadelphia-based Independence Blue Cross and Pittsburgh-based Highmark, a monopoly merger that would have constituted a 57%-70% market share of Pennsylvania health insurance sales.

Dozens of citizens rallied behind and witnessed Philadelphia City Council’s bipartisan, unanimous passage of the resolution.

One coalition member, Dr. Walter Tsou, former Health Commissioner of Philadelphia, said of the resolution, “Single payer is a win-win for Philadelphia. It not only would give 160,000 uninsured Philadelphians health insurance, but it would redirect hundreds of millions of city dollars toward other important priorities, like libraries and fire stations.”

Added Chuck Pennacchio of Healthcare for All Pennsylvania, “We are poised for victory in 2009 if, and only if, citizens step up and lobby their legislators at all levels of government in favor of the only proven answer to our healthcare crisis — and the simplest fix among all conditions that now plague our larger economy.”

Coalition members circulated a fact sheet that demonstrated how passage of either the state or national single payer plans would save the City of Philadelphia $539 million a year, more than enough to cover Mayor Nutter’s projected budget shortfall of $2 billion over 5 years. In addition, the bills would guarantee access to comprehensive healthcare at less cost than what average families currently pay, generate thousands of new health delivery jobs, save businesses 10-15% on healthcare, reduce property taxes, cut auto insurance rates, reduce workers compensation costs, retain existing business and allure new ones, and reverse the physician and hospital shortages facing the city, state, and the nation.

Sabrina Nixon, a medical technologist at Temple University Hospital, and a member of PASNAP, said, “As a healthcare professional of 20 years and a parent, I see that HR 676 would not only fix the current healthcare crisis, but eliminate every parent’s worry that their child will not have access to quality healthcare once they turn 18 or as they move between jobs.”

Groups that have signed on to a letter asking the Council to sign the resolution, many of which were present at the vote, include: Healthcare for All Pennsylvania; Healthcare for All – Philadelphia; Healthcare–NOW; Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals; United Steelworkers Local 10-1; International Federation of Professional and Technical Employees Local 3; Faculty and Staff Federation of Community College of Philadelphia, AFT 2026; Pennsylvania Federation of the Brotherhood of Maintenance and Way Employees – IBT; American Medical Students Association; Physicians for a National Health Program; Progressive Democrats of America; Philadelphia Chapter Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom; Citizen Access; and Leadership of Neighborhood Networks.

Contact: Chuck Pennacchio, Executive Director, Healthcare for All Pennsylvania, 215.828.5055