Question 5 falls 4% short in David vs. Goliath struggle

The battle to win a mandate for fundamental health care reform as called for under ballot Question 5 fell just 4 percentage points short of victory on Nov. 7,  as the initiative was defeated by a vote of 52 to 48 percent. While coming up short, Question 5 drew the support of nearly 1.2 million Massachusetts voters, signaling a growing grassroots movement for radical reform of a health care system in crisis. 

MNA members can take great pride in their efforts to place Question 5 on the ballot, and for a courageous campaign by hundreds of our members to almost achieve a victory in the face of one of the most expensive campaigns to defeat a ballot question ever waged in our state. While supporters of Question 5 spent approximately $50,000 to wage its grassroots campaign, the insurance and HMO industry spent an estimated $5 - 7 million to distort and defeat this initiative. Hundreds of misleading television ads were placed on local television and radio stations for weeks leading up to the election, and just before the election, the state’s largest insurers sent letters to policyholders advising them not to vote for Question 5 in lieu of seeing a dramatic increase in their health care premiums.

“If ever there was a moral victory, this was it. The great news from election day is that we clearly demonstrated we have the power to beat the system. Even though the HMOs spent up to $7 million to push their distortions and fearmongering, we came very close to prevailing, “ said Sandy Eaton, a member of the MNA Board of Directors, who also served on the steering committee for the YES on 5 campaign. “Looking across the state, we won handily in those communities where we had organized efforts driven by nurses, other health care workers, retirees, chapters of the League of Women Voters and our trade union allies.”

If passed, Question 5 would have called for universal access to quality health care for all residents by the year 2002, put in place a strong patients bill of rights for patients in managed care, mandated that 90 percent of every health care dollar go to patient care and place a moratorium on the conversion of not-for-profit health care providers to for-profit status until universal access was achieved. The measure won the support of Senator Kennedy, Congressmen James McGovern and John Oliver, as well as strong backing from presidential candidate Ralph Nader.

Many MNA members deserve special credit for their efforts to promote this initiative. Ann Eldridge, a member of the Congress on Health Policy and Legislation and the MNA coordinator for the YES on 5 Campaign served as the primary media spokesperson throughout the final weeks of the campaign. It was her role to conduct countless interviews with local media and to participate in high-profile debates with Question 5 opponents on local television and radio talk shows. Members of the YES on 5 Coalition had high praise for Eldridge’s performance in these debates, and for the poise and eloquence she demonstrated throughout the campaign. Ann was joined by her husband, and Congress on Nursing Practice member Michael Malone in these efforts. On one occasion, while Eldridge was debating Yes on 5 opponents on TV 5’s Chronicle, Malone, at the same time, was debating another opponent on New England Cable News’ “News Night with Margie Reedy.” Malone, who not only worked day and night to mobilize a yes vote in October and November, was also a leading force in the effort to get the question on the ballot for months leading up to the election drive.

“I was amazed at how much respect and power nurses have among the general public,” said Eldridge. “It is an impressive lesson we can carry forward as nurses work to further our agenda, and continue to speak out to move the system to the comprehensive health care reform we all are working so hard to bring about.”

The campaign not only drew the attention of local media, but was a major focus of national media attention. CNN, ABC News, ABC’s Nightline, Fox News, the New York Times and Businessweek magazine all covered Question 5 as a symbol of a growing movement for health care reform in America. 

MNA Board member Peggy O’Malley also showed great leadership on the campaign trail, serving as a speaker at community forums, campaigning throughout the state and rallying MNA allies to the cause of Question 5. MNA member Jackie Youngworth donated an entire floor of her building in North Quincy for use by the campaign to do phone banking and outreach for the effort. 

Even though a victory was not achieved, participants in the process see this campaign as having generated greater legitimacy for the position of nurses and others seeking change in the system. 

According to Eaton, “We can now use the political capital we earned in this campaign to keep the pressure on until we’ve mounted sufficient pressure constructed a real system for the health of all, affordable, portable, accountable and comprehensive.”