Conyers To Introduce Universal Healthcare Bill Today

John Conyers plans to introduce his universal healthcare legislation today, a Conyers aide tells the Huffington Post. The bill - known last session as H.R. 676 - is a favorite of healthcare reformers who back a single-payer system.

The bill, which will again be H.R. 676, is one of the more elegant to be introduced in the House, clocking in at just a few pages.

The plan is simple: everyone is eligible for a version of Medicare under a new U.S. National Health Insurance Program.

The program would effectively put private insurers out of business. What to do with all those employees? Hire them, says Conyers' bill.

"The Program shall provide that clerical, administrative, and billing personnel in insurance companies, doctors offices, hospitals, nursing facilities, and other facilities whose jobs are eliminated due to reduced administration (1) should have first priority in retraining and job placement in the new system; and (2) shall be eligible to receive 2 years of unemployment benefits."

Conyers, a Michigan Democrat and chairman of the Judiciary Committee, last introduced his bill, which garnered 93 cosponsors, in February 2007. It was referred to committee but never given a hearing.

If the 647-page House stimulus bill was too much to get through, try Conyers' out.

Comments

[Leonna]

So we be running the private sector out of business, taking control of the quality of health care we get out of the consumers hands and then the government can tell us when we can and can't be treated. This is why Canadians come here for their health care! Welcome to the USSR United States Socialist Republic. I have seen how this worked in Canada and I have have seen how the government handled my retirement funds for Social Security and Now we are trusting them with our health care?

We have fallen into an age of idocracy. Scottie beam me up - there no intellegent life down here.

[chet380]

Leonna -

In 1999, I suffered a heart attack - within seconds I was treated by a team of doctors and nurses, stabilized, and then spent five days in Intensive Care. The cost in the US would have been in the thousands - to me here in Canada, ZERO.

Last year, owing to a defective heart valve, I had to undergo open-heart surgery - a team of twelve surgeons, anaesthetists, profusionists and nurses performed the eight hour procedure. Afterward, i spent two weeks in post-op care. The cost in the US would have been in the tens of thousands - to me here in Canada, ZERO.

Importantly, apart from our health care, Canada is in no way a socialist country.

What is the problem with you people down there?

[glockman]

So, then, who pays for your treatment? The govt? If so, then the people do pay for it through taxes. The same as happens here already.

[CL38]

I guess you'd rather have insurance and drug companies dictating our medical care, what operations we're allowed to have, etc. And the religious right can continue dictating what reproductive health choices women are allowed, what sex ed info can be taught in schools. And hospital workers can also weigh in on whether women are allowed reproductive health and contraceptives of their choice. That's so much better, right???

[hmldjr]

The time for universal health care is now. It seems to me the repubs have forgotten they lost the election. Maybe they should try and find a country that doesn't have universal health care and move there like alot of their confederate ancestors left for other countries when they lost the civil war. The only problem is they won't find a country in the western world that doesn't have it.

[aic4ever]

As if we weren't already on a path to destruction with the bailouts and the stimulus, this would seal the deal...
http://organizedexploitation.blogspot.com/2009/01/destruction-through-universal-health.html

[RTIII]

Har har har.

All intelligent people realize that Universal Health Care (vis-a-vis single-payer) will _save_ us about 20% while At The Same Time giving us additional coverage for all the rest of us.

Some destruction.

The only thing it destroys is the exploitation by a particular set of already rich people of the rest of us.
.

[aic4ever]

It doesn't save any money. The services will always cost what they cost, no matter what. You'd like to believe the profit is gone, but the additional cost is incurred back through general government inefficiency.

Overall you end up with the highest earners paying the freight for the entire country, and the bill spells it out as such. Only the top 5% are paying for this, and nobody else.

You may not care, if you're not in the top 5%, but you must always remember that thsoe 5% will ultimately be the ones lobbying for healthcare policy, removing the interests of the general public from the debate.

If healthcare is private, you've at least got freedom of choice in what programs to choose and which companies suit you best.

[Merewen]

I do hope they include dental health in this. Insurance companies seem to think that dental doesn't matter. Sometimes problems in your mouths are indications that something else is going wrong in your body. It's a travesty!

[RTIII]

More often it's the other way 'round; the mouth as a source of serious infection of other parts of the body. From the mouth, you've got the limphatic system easily accessible, along with virtually direct connections to just about every vital system in the body. Good dental care - or at least _reasonable_ dental _health_ is vital to good overall health.
.

[ouroborous]

Basic dentistry, yes.

I hope they do NOT cover cosmetic dentistry. Wayyy too expensive, and sets a bad precedent.

I think everyone should have the right to a healthy body, and a healthy mouth is no exception. But I don't believe that everyone has the right to "InvisAlign" bracers and perfect, shiny teeth. Just healthy teeth, crooked and snaggly and all.

[instarx]

Read the bill - its two pages. They do cover dental care but not cosmetic dental care.

[SunshineDaydream]

oh man!! conyers is quickly becoming a favorite of mine - he let me down when he didn't send the s-i-a after rove (and myers?). and i would love to hear how different it is for men like conyers (and kucinich) from the bush admin to the obama admin!

[RTIII]

It's the SAME OLE NANCY - The Loser - Pelosi overseeing their actions.

The ONLY thing stopping Conyers before was Nancy.

Same thing now. Why would Nancy cut him loose now? Hmmm... I think we can easily identify it as a problem with priorities. She puts Party Over Nation. Disgraceful.
.

[Nikola Tesla]

Nancy told me to tell you to step off her d*ck.

[glockman]

Pay for health care for all? Ok, how about paying our car insurance, too? After all, we can't maintain our well being if we can't get to work to buy food. How about paying our home insurance, too? We can't keep ourselves safe without homes. Why not pay all of our insurance needs?

Why not a plan that provides insurance to those who can't afford it, and let those who can, keep their insurance. This plan would also let those who have good insurance through their employer keep that insurace, also.

A national plan that covers everyone will never work. Besides, think about how bad government is at runnng their own departments. Do we really want them in control of our health care?

[Nikola Tesla]

It works fine EVERYWHERE ELSE in the western world. You live in a fantasy-land.

[glockman]

On the contrary, I live in reality. And you haven't answered my post.

[peterdangit]

I can live without a car in a big city. I can rent a home and live without owning one. I cannot, however, live without my body.

[glockman]

Not everyone is like you. And that's the point.

[jadeba]

Health care is not the same as car insurance! You know, this argument about how badly government works is getting tiresome - yes, 43's government worked very badly (he wanted it to) but 44 is clearly smarter and better at getting things done and actually thinking things through. Government works very well, unless you've got an idiot at the helm.

I do agree that private insurance should be available but a plan like this would take the burden off businesses to provide insurance to their employees - isn't that always what the "R"s scream about? The would like to remove the burden but leave the employees to fend for themselves.

[instarx]

Yes, no one ever mentions the incredible savings to business when they get health care off their backs.

[RTIII]

Actually some states DO have "universal auto insurance." It's payed for via a tax to gasoline. It only covers liability, but it does help guarantee that there's money to pay for helping accident victim's recovery. There's still a role for "automobile insurance" but it provides a ground floor for liability issues.

A new Universal Health Care will almost certainly provide an identically parallel medical insurance opportunity for those that wish to pursue it. Such insurance can play to people's fears, like yours, and, for example, provide payment for experimental and other exotic treatments, attempt to "put you at the head of the line" for "elective" procedures, etc. Don't worry, you'll still be able to waste your money on Health Insurance, you can count on that.

Anyway, you might at least do _some_ of your homework...
.

[ouroborous]

Auto insurance is not a necessity. Because you cannot, with certainty, state that everyone will get in an accident severe enough to need insurance. Because you can, in many areas, live without a car -- maybe not conveniently. Maybe not luxuriously. But you can live and make a living, without a car.

Health care (I separate health care from health insurance, something nobody seems to do) is a necessity, because I can state with certainty that EVERYONE will get sick enough to need a doctor at some point in their life.

[Nikola Tesla]

Let me get this straight. Take the profit out of health care and it will cost MORE?

Are you conservatives off your meds?

[Nikola Tesla]

Talk about big ones!

[Yves Papa]

It's about time.

[blastit]

I'm crying, please let us get universal healthcare..its one thing to be sick but to be sick and have to worry about losing your home because you don't have health insurance is even worse..please let this happen we all need this so bad.

[SwingingFromCenter]

Conyers with a proposal for universal health. Oh man, this should be good.

His plan is probably along the lines of "Don't worry, that cough will go away eventually".

[the964kid]

Let's do it.

[ProudNeoCon]

Who will pay for that "single payer" system? You will - your taxes will go up... So instead of paying HMO, you will pay goverment... Now for those of you who make very little - it is a great deal. For people who are actually pay taxes - not so great. You are betting that goverment is more efficient than private insurance... That is a huge bet. May I make a suggestion: Pick one state to experement with and see if it actually work... Lets say California...

[sbdavi]

We did this in GA, it went from 5% over head under the medicaid system. With the introduction of CMO's or private insurance companies. The over head skyrocketed to 28% while handicap kids suffered the brunt of the cuts. The increased overhead is to deny services; why not just provide people with the services they need. Who thinks paying companies 1 in 4 of your dollars is worth deny people who need services their care.

Tell me how Private insurance is better than socialized; I beg you. Because right now I just don't understand....

[blastit]

So what if our taxes go up its not the worse thing in the world..you know other people in other countries such as spain , France, Germany Switzerland they pay higher taxes and they have a better quality of life because of it , less stress, less worry damn ignorant americans wake the F up...

[Ozarks]

At least the government won't turn down legitimate claims. Private insurers is a crap shoot.

[MsMcgee]

You sure have that right Ozarks!

[SwingingFromCenter]

I trust the government on this one. I mean after all, they provide GREAT universal health care to all the illegal Mexicans in this country.

[Nikola Tesla]

It ALREADY works in Hawaii and has sense 1974. Grow up.

[Nikola Tesla]

For the sceptics:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_health_care#United_States

[magecat]

Years ago I had an appendectomy. I was lucky I had medical insurance at the time.

Cost of operation if I had to pay it - $13,000

Since the insurance paid for it - $9,000

Who is kidding who?

[instarx]

No, your BILL would have been $13,000. You would have paid much LESS if you negotiated.

It isn't that the insurance company is more efficient - its that you were being over-charged because the hospital assumes most patients are too stupid to negotiate and will simply pay the bill.

[avocats]

Note: this covers all "residents," including the 20 million estimate illegal aliens here. No need to show that you are here legally, that you are a citizen, that you pay taxes . . . .

[Merewen]

I love the illegals don't pay taxes arguement. It shows how people just talking points.

1. Most illegal immigrants use stolen SSN's to work
2. Most illegal immigrants pay taxes
3. Most illegal immigrants DO NOT file for a refund at the end of the year.

What do you think happens with ALL that money?

[ProudNeoCon]

BS

[got2Bkidding]

If you feel that way, perhaps you should never travel to a country that has single payer healthcare. You see, even as a visitor in the case of necessary medical care, you'll still be treated. Imagine that. You not being a citizen or anything, and still they will help you.