POSITION TAKEN ON ISSUES, 2009

-- by the Platform & Issues Committee of the Democratic Party of Hillsborough County, 2009

Reform of Health Insurance System (Sept 3, 2009)

The Committee looked again at positions taken by Democrats at all levels:

DNC Platform and current position.

“Healthcare for All”

[http://www.democrats.org/a/national/american_dream/affordable_health_care/]

FDP Platform and current position.

[http://www.fladems.com/content/w/issues#healthcare]

HCDEC Platform and current position.

Hillsborough County Democratic Party Platform Principle 9)… The health of individuals, the health and well-being of communities, and the conditions of the environment are inseparably tied to each other, and that comprehensive whole deserves priority over all else.

Each time the issue has come up, the Platform & Issues Committee has been unanimous in its support of a single-payer health care system – or at least a “public option.”

In July 2009 the Platform & Issues Report stated, under the heading, Health Care for All:

This Committee, having already offered to the Steering Committee a proposal on “Health

Care For All”, restated once more the importance of Health Care reform in the USA.

Dr. Howard Dean, a physician, a former governor, and former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, put it thus:

“ We support health care reform that allows individual Americans to choose either a Universally available public health care option like Medicare or for-profit private Insurance. A public option is the only way to guarantee health care for all Americans and its inclusion is non-negotiable. Any legislation without the choice of public option is only insurance reform and not the health care reform America needs.”

In addition, it should be noted that there is still a strong movement for Universal Single Payer Health Care.  We  remain hopeful that this will be given careful consideration before a final reform program is announced.

We encourage comments to the Platform and Issues Committee via Platform-Issues-Legislation@YahooGroups.com