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Massachusetts Nurse :: October
2005
MNA campaigns to make health care a right
via ballot initiative in 2006
As the state Legislature continues to struggle to
generate legitimate proposals to address a growing crisis regarding
access to quality health care for all in the commonwealth, the MNA
is mobilizing the nursing community and working with other interested
parties to support a ballot initiative for 2006 that will create
a clear mandate for meaningful legislative action.
The MNA is one of a growing number of health care, community and
labor organizations to have become active in the Health Care for
Massachusetts Campaign, an effort to place and pass a constitutional
amendment on the 2006 election ballot that would make health care
a basic right of all residents of the commonwealth.
Despite the highest health care spending in the nation, Massachusetts
has almost 600,000 residents without insurance who are often unable
to get the care they need and who suffer needlessly as a result.
The proposal requires the Legislature to enact a law, subject to
voter approval, that “will ensure that no Massachusetts resident
lacks comprehensive, affordable, and equitably-financed health insurance
coverage for all medically necessary, preventative, acute, and chronic
health care needs and mental health care services, prescription
drugs and devices.”
“The constitutional amendment moves the debate over health
care reform and universal insurance coverage away from ‘if’
we will get this done to ‘how’ must we get this done,”
said Julie Pinkham, MNA executive director, who sits on the steering
committee for the Health Care for Massachusetts Campaign. “The
Legislature would not have the choice or option not to act. It removes
all the excuses, stops the stalling and forces the Legislature to
act.”
The MNA, which continues to propose fundamental health care reform
in the form of a single-payer health care system, has become involved
in this campaign because it creates the mandate for action that
will move the issue of health care reform father along. It also
provides all organizations who want to see the health care system
reformed and improved a vehicle that they can all rally around.
“We may not all agree on the specific path to universal coverage
and access to quality health care,” Pinkham explained. “But
we can all agree that there should be a path and that legislators
must walk it. That’s why this is the most essential and fundamental
step towards real reform and it is why the MNA and nurses, who understand
the cost we are paying for inaction, are rallying around this initiative.”
The proposed constitutional amendment was first advanced in the
2003-2004 legislative session after more than 71,000 voters signed
their names to petitions in support. In July 2004, lawmakers approved
the amendment by an overwhelming margin of 153-41.
This legislative session, the proposal will need just 50 votes from
legislators at the next constitutional convention, which is where
ballot questions such as these are approved to be placed on the
2006 ballot. While it was hoped that the issue would be taken up
at the Constitutional Convention of the Legislature on Sept. 14,
the debate over a gay marriage amendment prevented the issue from
being taken up.
The issue is expected to be taken up at the next Constitutional
Convention, which is scheduled for May 14, 2006. If 50 legislators
vote in favor of the amendment, it will be placed on the ballot
for a vote by the electorate in 2006.
Frequently asked questions
about the Campaign to Make Health a Right
Why do we need to do this?
- Health care costs are growing 3.5
times faster than wages and faster than corporate
income with no end in sight.
- Fewer people get their insurance
at work as soaring premiums make insurance unaffordable
for employers.
- The state has drastically cut insurance
and public health programs.
- More than 600,000 Massachusetts
residents are uninsured and often go without needed
care and live sicker lives and die sooner as a result.
How can we afford this?
- The money for expanded coverage
is already in the system and the amendment is the
catalyst for capturing it and reallocating it to expand
coverage for all.
- There is more than $5.8 billion
in current spending and potential savings that could
be used to expand coverage, cut costs, cut administrative
burdens and improve the quality of care for the insured
and uninsured alike.
- Investing in health care stimulates
economic growth and competitiveness.
- Economists estimate that every
$1 invested in expanding coverage yields $1.50 in
economic and social benefits.
Will my taxes go up?
- This proposal does not require
tax-based funding or that the state be the insurer.
- Doing nothing is the same as a
regressive tax hike that disproportionately hurts
middle and lower income families forced to drop coverage
they now have as it becomes affordable.
- Studies have shown that affordable
coverage for all is a bargain as long as the cost
is lower than expected premium hikes.
Why a constitutional amendment?
- A purely legislative approach to
reform fails because it can not ensure full implementation
and funding of the interdependent reforms carefully
negotiated by stakeholders.
- A constitutional mandate gives
stakeholders and the Legislature the tools they need
to sit down and solve the growing problem.
- Language in our state constitution
guaranteeing every Massachusetts child a public education
ultimately forced major education and financing reform.
Why use the ballot?
- A ballot question gives the voters
a voice to tell that they want action now to ensure
that everyone can get affordable health insurance.
- There are options on the table
that have been carefully studied—expanded public
programs, an employer or individual mandate, a mix
of tax credits and deductions or a single payer system.
Any of these, alone or in combination, could be used
to meet the standards set out in the Amendment but
still no action.
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What nurses can do to support the
constitutional amendment to make access to quality health
care a right
- Become educated about the initiative,
visit the Web site
www.HealthCareForMass.org
- Contact your state senator and representative
and tell them you expect their vote in support of
this initiative at the Constitutional Convention on
May 14, 2006.
- Educate other nurses and your community
about this issue. The MNA has prepared a 10-minute
presentation for interested groups. If you want to
arrange for a presentation at a meeting of a group
or organization to which you belong, contact David
Schildmeier, MNA director of public communications,
at 781.830.5717 or via email at dschildmeier@mnarn.org.
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