HomeMy WebLinkAbout6/20/2017 Item 18, Dunne
Purrington, Teresa
From:Tom Dunne <
Sent:Tuesday, June 20, 2017 1:54 PM
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:FW: SLO Letter to Mayor and City Council in support of SB 562.
SLO Letter to Mayor and City Council SB 562.docx FINAL 6-20-17.pdf; SB 562 Resolution-
Attachments:
Support.docx
Importance:High
DearMayorHarmonandSLOCityCouncilMembers:
PleaseseetheattachedletterfromtheCaliforniaNursesAssociation(andsample
resolution)insupportofSB562,TheHealthyCaliforniaAct.
Thanks!
Thomas Dunne
Labor Representative
California Nurses Association
National Nurses United
Phone: (510) 219-9615
FAX: (510) 663-5712
155 Grand Avenue
Oakland, CA 94612
_________________________________________________________________________________________
http://www.nationalnursesunited.org
www.NursesHealAmerica.org
CaliforniaRNsRegistertoVoteonlineHere....
http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/
We cannot seek achievement for ourselves and forget about progress and prosperity for our
community... Our ambitions must be broad enough to include the aspirations and needs of
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others, for their sakes and for our own.
-Cesar Chavez
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Dear Mayor Harmon and San Luis Obispo City Council Members:
On behalf of our nearly 1500 local members, who live and work here on the Central Coast, including
Registered Nurses at both Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center and French Hospital, here in San Luis
Obispo, I am writing this letter to urge the City of San Luis Obispo to support and endorse
As Registered Nurses, and patient & community advocates, , The California Nurses Association strongly
supports SB 562, which will cost California taxpayers $37 billion less than we pay now and covers
everyone.
Currently, there are 3 million uninsured here in California, and 12 million more who are
underinsured. Many of these are residents of San Luis Obispo County. Those numbers will surely rise
significantly if Congress does in fact repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA)
When enacted, the Healthy California Act will guarantee that every resident of California will receive
of
licensed health professionals and services. Covered benefits will include services to keep people
healthymentally and physically as well as those services that diagnose and treat diseases. In addition
to emergency services, surgeries, and hospital stays, services such as home healthcare, day care and
hospice are covered. Vision and dental care are also included. The Healthy California Act has been
crafted to provide a single high standard of safe, therapeutic care for all California residents in a manner
that is financially sustainable:
Choose any provider. No more surprise bills. No out-of-pocket costs for covered services.
Eliminates co-pays for Medicare Part B.
Lower prescription drug costs.
Regional planning to reduce overlap and duplication of expensive equipment and facilities.
Provider rates which will replace and improve upon Medi-Cal rates, will be negotiated to ensure
access, cost control and high-value services.
The advances from the Affordable Care Act will be folded into the new system.
Huge cost-savings from reduced bureaucracy. No more insurance company runaround. No more
bill collectors.
Page 1 of 2
Diverse participants including ordinary citizens and representatives of labor and business, as well
as various health care professionals and health policy experts, will advise and help design the
Healthy California program.
A Healthy California premium, which is higher for upper income earners, would replace
insurance company premiums, co-pays and deductibleslikely resulting in significant out-of-
pocket net savings.
Registered Nurses strongly believe that Healthcare is a Human Right. We urge the city of San Luis
Obispo to join with us in calling on the California State Legislature to quickly pass this bill, and ensure
that all residents of California are guaranteed that right.
Sincerely,
Sherri Stoddard, RN
California Nurses Association; Board of Directors Member
Registered Nurse; Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center
Page 2 of 2
RESOLUTIONINSUPPORTOFSENATEBILL562(LARA&ATKINS),HEALTHYCALIFORNIAACT,THAT
WOULDESTABLISHACOMPREHENSIVEUNIVERSALSINGLEPAYERHEALTHCARECOVERAGE
PROGRAMANDAHEALTHCARECOSTCONTROLSYSTEMFORTHEBENEFITOFALLRESIDENTSOFTHE
STATE
WHEREAS,everyCalifornianshouldhavearighttohealthcare;and
WHEREAS,whilethefederalPatientProtectionandAffordableCareAct(PPACA)broughtmany
improvementsinhealthcareandhealthcarecoverage,itstillleavesmanyCalifornianswithoutcoverage
orwithinadequatecoverage;and
WHEREAS,onhisfirstdayinoffice,PresidentTrumpsignedanexecutiveordergivingfederalagencies
broadpowerstodismantleregulationscreatedunderthePPACA;andtheexecutiveorderstatedthat
theTrump!ķƒźƓźƭƷƩğƷźƚƓƭofficialpolicyisͻƷƚseekthepromptƩĻƦĻğƌͼofthePPACA;andWHEREAS,
Californians,asindividuals,employers,andtaxpayershaveexperiencedariseinthecostofhealthcare
carecoverageinrecentyears,includingrisingpremiums,deductibles,andcopays,aswellas
andhealth
restrictedprovidernetworksandhighoutofnetworkcharges;and
WHEREAS,businesseshavealsoexperiencedincreasesinthecostsofhealthcarebenefitsfortheir
employees,andmanyemployersareshiftingalargershareofthecostofcoveragetotheiremployeesor
droppingcoverageentirely;and
WHEREAS,SenateBill562(SB562)wouldcreateaͻĭƚƒƦƩĻŷĻƓƭźǝĻuniversalsinglepayerhealthcare
coverageprogramandahealthcarecostcontrolƭǤƭƷĻƒͼforthebenefitofall38millionCaliforniansΑ
includingundocumentedresidents;WHEREAS,SB562wouldconsistentlycoverallCalifornians,because
coverageisbasedonresidency,notaƦĻƩƭƚƓƭchangingincomeoremploymentstatus;and
WHEREAS,SB562wouldeliminateofoutofcontrolcopaysandhighdeductibles,andreduceApproved
astoFormandLegalityCityAttorneycostsbycuttingoutinsurancecompanywasteandduplication;and
WHEREAS,SB562wouldgivepatientsthefreedomtochoosetheirdoctor,andwouldmanage
prescriptiondrugcosts;and
WHEREAS,SB562issponsoredbytheCaliforniaNursesAssociationandsupportedbytheHealthy
CaliforniaabroadgrassrootscampaigncomprisedofsixmillionCaliforniansandover150organizations
representingcommunity,labor,immigrantrights,business,senior,healthcareprovidersandadvocates;
and
WHEREAS,_____________endorsementofSB562isconsistentwith________________now,therefore
beitRESOLVED:That______________endorsesSB562;andbeit
FURTHERRESOLVED:Thatthe______________________tothelegislativerepresentativefor
transmissiontotheStateLegislature.