LWVNCF supports the work of the Northfield Health Care Reform group, which held a meeting at the Northfield Public Library on Tuesday, July 29, 2008, which they called “a beginning opportunity to increase awareness of the health care issues, explore solutions, and further actions to achieve affordable health care for all.” At that meeting was explained the Minnesota Health Act - SF 2324 and HF 2522, a bill now before the MN Senate and House [To see a description of this Minnesota Health Plan, click here.]
LWVMN: “When the Minnesota Universal Health Care Committee was formed, the MN League joined to further the goal of universal health care on a state basis.”
LWVUS: “The League believes that quality, affordable health care should be available to all U.S. residents. Other U.S. health care policy goals should include the equitable distribution of services, efficient and economical delivery of care, advancement of medical research and technology, and a reasonable total national expenditure level for health care. Furthermore, the League believes that all Americans should have access to a basic level of care that includes the prevention of disease, health promotion and education, primary care (including prenatal and reproductive health), acute care, long-term care and mental health care.”
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Karen Gervais, chair of LWVNCF’s Health Care Reform committee [and Director of the Minnesota Center for Healthcare Ethics and Visiting Associate Professor of Philosophy at St. Olaf College] recommends the following 2 articles from the Commonwealth Fund Digest for more background on this issue:
“Latest Scorecard Shows U.S. Health System Not Improving”
“Number of Underinsured Climbs Sharply”
Karen says, “As an ethicist, I have come to have a great deal of respect for the Commonwealth Fund’s efforts to fund research and efforts to improve our health care system. This is its mission:
‘The Commonwealth Fund is a private foundation that aims to promote a high performing health care system that achieves better access, improved quality, and greater efficiency, particularly for society’s most vulnerable.’”
