Dear League Members,
Passage of comprehensive health care reform is a major priority for the League of Women Voters of the United States in the 111th Congress, and we look forward to working with Leagues to pass meaningful health care reform. For the next few weeks, the LWVUS Lobby Corps will be lobbying all 100 Senate offices in support of comprehensive health care reform legislation. We have also sent out an action alert in support of the President's budget, which contains essential funding for health care reform.
The League of Women Voters is urging Senators to draft legislation that guarantees quality, affordable health care to all U.S. residents, including the prevention of disease, health promotion and education, primary, acute and long-term care, mental health care, and prescription drug coverage as well as allow for pre-existing conditions; establishes a system-wide program to coordinate information, establishes best practices and provides consumers the information they need to protect themselves and their families; and provides effective cost controls, equitable distribution of services and allows for efficient and economical delivery of care.
The League is working closely with our allies on Capitol Hill and coalition partners to set and implement legislative strategies that will ensure that we achieve the key goals of the LWVUS health care position. We need to carefully consider our options and what makes the most sense over the near and long term. This is the first opportunity to pass meaningful health care reform in a very long time, and we want to be sure we are considering all options and following the best course.
This year, we anticipate that there will be a number of competing health care reform bills in the 111th Congress. At this time, the LWVUS has not endorsed any specific health care legislation and we are not authorizing any state or local League to do so. The key committees in the House and Senate will be considering a number of approaches to achieve comprehensive health care reform.
We have recently received inquiries from Leagues regarding support for specific health care legislation including H.R. 676, the United States National Health Care Act. While the LWVUS did not endorse H.R. 676 in previous Congresses, individual Leagues were given the go ahead to contact their Members of Congress in support of H.R. 676 if they felt that they had member understanding and agreement. Health care reform was a priority for the LWVUS in the last Congress, but the main emphasis was on reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). H.R. 676 was one of the few bills addressing comprehensive health care reform in the 110th Congress, while it is one of many options in the 111th Congress.
We expect that there will be a lot of work to do to keep Congress focused on passing comprehensive health care reform. Please be sure to respond to LWVUS action alerts such as the current alert on the President's budget and health care funding. We look forward to working with you to achieve lasting health care reform.
In League,
Mary G. Wilson, LWVUS Pres.
April 9, 2009
LEAGUE UPDATES
- April 23 - League Urges House of Representatives to Support Strong Health Care Reform
As House and Senate committees begin to draft health care reform legislation, LWVUS President Mary G. Wilson sent a letter to the U.S. House of Representatives urging them to work to achieve comprehensive system-wide reform that provides quality, affordable health care for all Americans. Mary Wilson's letter to the House
- The LWVUS Lobby Corps is currently visiting members of key House committees and lobbying them on this important issue, following Senate visits last month.</li
Health Care Fact Sheets by the LWVUS Health Care Education Task Force.
The Health Care Policy Council bills encountered tough opposition in the last weeks of the legislative session. At the end, the bills had been weakened significantly by opponents, and in House and Senate negotiations the bill were allowed to die.
The concept of the bill was rolled into the NC Institute of Medicine Access to Health Care Study Group with the Institute of Medicine appointing the members of the Study Group.
Thanks to House Speaker Hackney, Representative Insko's hard work and the intent of the original Health Care Policy Council were preserved. A permanent study group has been created, which is to make recommendations to the General Assembly on moving us forward to a system where all North Carolinians have access to health insurance.
In March 2009 the North Carolina Institute of Medicine published a report of the findings of the Study Group with recommendations made to the North Carolina General Assembly.
A full report can be found on the NCIOM website.
© Copyright
League of Women Voters of Orange-Durham-Chatham, North Carolina. All rights reserved.
![[LWV]](images/lwv76.gif)
