Resolution in Support of the Single-Payer, Universal Health Care Act

*Whereas, the North Carolina Democratic Party adopted a resolution at its
Convention on June 21, 2008, that called for the establishment of a
universal, single-payer health care system, including prescription drug
coverage, resembling Medicare or the health care system used by members of
Congress; and*

*Whereas, the currently proposed Public Option is already a compromise of
the kind of reform embraced by Democrats in North Carolina and represents,
therefore, the absolute minimum requirement to enact meaningful health care
reform; and *

*Whereas, for the Public Option to be called robust it must: *

- *be sizeable enough to be competitive in a concentrated market; *
- *be inclusive; *
- *be universally accepted; *
- *be well-funded without adding regressive taxes; *
- *have transparent public management and oversight; *
- *be cost-effective with a best practices approach;*
- *make a substantial investment in preventative care; *
- *offer community-based programs that support and educate families; *
- *have transparent, comprehensive, standardized pricing;*
- *contain no triggers or reverse triggers; *
- *must be available on day one with the administrative structures and
advance marketing in place to execute the option efficiently and
competitively; and *

*Whereas, a mandate to insure everyone without a robust Public Option will
turn into a bonanza for the for-profit health care industry and an
unsustainable boondoggle for tax payers with little reform of the current
system; and*

*Whereas, deliberate attempts by health care reform opponents to prey on
racial, cultural and generational fears by distorting the substance of the
proposed health care reform and to destroy meaningful debate by organizing
angry mobs at town hall meetings should not be rewarded with conciliatory
concessions by Democrats;*

*Therefore Be It Resolved, *that the North Carolina Democratic Party
recognizes that the health and well-being of its citizens is not a commodity
to be subjected to the demands of the free market or the profiteering of
stockholders and CEOs; and

*Be It Further Resolved, *that the North Carolina Democratic Party strongly
supports the passage of H.R. 676, legislation that creates and enacts a
single-payer national health care program which provides comprehensive,
guaranteed health care--publicly financed, but privately driven by the needs
of patients and the judgment of doctors—accessible to all; and, *therefore*,
*directs Party Chairman David Young to instruct Senator Kay Hagan,
Representatives G.K. Butterfield NC-1, Bob Etheridge NC-2, David Price NC-4,
Mike McIntyre NC-7, Larry Kissell NC-8, Heath Shuler NC-11, Mel Watt NC-12,
and Brad Miller NC-13 to support a full court debate **of the historic
introduction of the **single payer "Medicare for All" bill which will be
introduced in the House by Anthony Wiener (HR676) and in the Senate by
Bernie Sanders (S 703). Long censored, such a vigorous debate will allow the
public the opportunity to finally review the universal, progressively
financed, and most cost-effective health insurance system enjoyed by every
industrialized nation in the world. A strong vote of support for this bill
will also help set the standard by which we can judge the merits of a robust
and competitive public insurance option and assure its passage without
compromise; and*

*Be it Further resolved**, that Chairman David Young conveys to Senator
Hagan and our Democratic Congressional House Representatives that the
Democratic Party of North Carolina and its members** – **in the absence of
Single-Payer as a choice -- strongly support a robust Public Option as an
alternative and expect their Congressional Representatives to make a robust
Public Option mandatory, that a bill without a meaningful Public Option is
not acceptable to the Democratic Party of North Carolina and its members,
and that we urge our Congressional delegation to vote against any health
care reform bill that does not contain a robust Public Option.*