Change to Win Urges Congress to Implement a Health Care Policy for All Americans

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 12, 2006

CONTACT: Chris Ortman
202-721-6041 direct
202-531-9481 mobile
chris.ortman@changetowin.org

chris.ortman@changetowin.org

WASHINGTON, DC – Leaders of Change to Win and its affiliates have sent the following letter to members of Congress urging support for health care legislative measures recommended by the Citizens Health Care Working Group. The text of the letter appears below.

September 7, 2006
To All U.S. Senators and Representatives:

Every day on the campaign trail, you hear from voters on crucial issues affecting Americans.  Overwhelmingly, the issue most directly affecting America's working families is health care.  Escalating costs and inaccessibility threaten the well being of working families.  The rapidly increasing cost of health care is also creating an untenable situation for many responsible American companies who employ millions of Americans.  Fortunately, a process is underway to improve the system and provide better health care to citizens of the United States.  That process is being led by the Citizens Health Care Working Group (CHCWG).

The CHCWG was created by Congress when it passed the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA), as the result of a bipartisan amendment by Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR).

The CHCWG held hearings with experts, stakeholders, scholars, public officials, the business community, and health-care providers, as well as conducted over forty community meetings across the country, about the status of health care in America.  From this dialogue with the American people, and with additional information received from polls, Internet comments, and individual commentaries, we heard from over 23,000 Americans.

The CHCWG developed six recommendations that reflect the values of the vast majority of the American people.  Central to all of the recommendations is that health care is a responsibility that must be shared on an equitable basis.

Three of the recommendations are absolutely critical if our country wants to achieve health care that works for all Americans.

  • That it will be public policy of the United States that affordable, accessible, quality health care be established for all.
  • That a defined set of core benefits be created with equitable financing for all by 2012.
  • That as a first step, a plan be developed and implemented that would protect all Americans against catastrophic health care costs. This coverage would be a bridge to universal health care.


(More detailed information can be found at www.citizenshealthcare.gov or at www.ufcw4healthcare.org)

The six million members of the Change to Win unions are asking you and every candidate for federal office in November 2006, to examine these recommendations closely and take a stand in support of or in opposition to each recommendation no later than October 1, 2006.  We are compiling these responses for communication with our members and will understand an absence of response to be a lack of support for the recommendations.

I await your reply and look forward to working with you to ease this burden on working families everywhere.

Sincerely,   

Anna Burger
Chair
Change to Win

Edgar Romney
Secretary-Treasurer
Change to Win

Joseph T. Hansen
International President
United Food and Commercial Workers International Union

James P. Hoffa
General President
International Brotherhood of Teamsters

Geralyn A. Lutty
International Vice President
United Food and Commercial Workers International Union

Douglas J. McCarron
General President
United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America

Terence M. O'Sullivan
General President
Laborers' International Union of North America

Bruce Raynor
General President
UNITE HERE

Arturo S. Rodriguez
President
United Farm Workers of America

Andrew L. Stern
International President
Service Employees International Union