Summary of H.R. 676, “The United States National Health Care Act,” Or “Expanded & Improved Medicare For All”

Introduced by Rep. John Conyers, Jr.


Brief Summary of Legislation
The United States National Health Care Act (USNHC) establishes a unique American universal health
insurance program with single payer financing. The bill would create a publicly financed, privately
delivered health care system that improves and expands the already existing Medicare program to all
U.S. residents, and all residents living in U.S. territories. The goal of the legislation is to ensure that all
Americans will have access, guaranteed by law, to the highest quality and most cost effective health care
services regardless of their employment, income or health care status. In short, health care becomes a
human right. With 47 million uninsured Americans, and another 50 million who are underinsured, the
time has come to change our inefficient and costly fragmented non-system of health care.


Who is Eligible
Every person living or visiting in the United States and the U.S. Territories would receive a United
States National Health Insurance Card and ID number once they enroll at the appropriate location. Social
Security numbers may not be used when assigning ID cards.


Health Care Services Covered
This program will cover all medically necessary services, including primary care, inpatient care,
outpatient care, emergency care, prescription drugs, durable medical equipment, hearing services, long
term care, palliative care, podiatric care, mental health services, dentistry, eye care, chiropractic, and
substance abuse treatment. Patients have their choice of physicians, providers, hospitals, clinics, and
practices. There no co-pays or deductibles under this act.


Conversion To A Non-Profit Health Care System
Doctors, hospitals, and clinics will continue to operate as privately entities. However, they will be
unable to issue stock. Private health insurers shall be prohibited under this act from selling coverage that
duplicates the benefits of the USNHC program. Exceptions to this rule include coverage for cosmetic
surgery, and other medically unnecessary treatments. Those workers who are displaced as the result of
the transition to a non-profit health care system will be the first to be hired and retrained under this act.
Furthermore, workers would receive their same salary for up to two years, and would then be eligible for
unemployment benefits. The conversion to a not-for- profit health care system will take place as soon as
possible, but not to exceed a 15 year period, through the sale of U.S. treasury bonds.


Cost Containment Provisions/ Reimbursement
The USNHC program will negotiate reimbursement rates annually with physicians, allow for global
budgets (monthly lump sums for operating expenses) for hospitals, and negotiate prices for prescription
drugs, medical supplies and equipment. A “Medicare For All Trust Fund” will be established to ensure a
dedicated stream of funding. An annual Congressional appropriation is also authorized to ensure
optimal levels of funding for the program, in particular, to ensure the requisite number of physicians and
nurses need in the health care delivery system. (over)
H.R. 676 Would Reduce Overall Health Care Costs


Families Will Pay Less
Currently, the average family of four covered under an employee health plan spends a total of $4,225 on
health care annually – $2,713 on premiums and another $1,522 on medical services, drugs and supplies
(Employer Health Benefits 2006 Annual Survey, Kaiser Family Foundation and Health Research and
Educational Trust; U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditure
Survey.) This figure does not include the additional 1.45% Medicare payroll tax levied on employees.
A study by Dean Baker of the Center for Economic Research and Policy concluded that under H.R. 676,
a family of four making the median family income of $56,200 per year would pay about $2,700 for all
health care costs.


Business Will Pay In 2006, health insurers charged employers an average of $11,500 for a health plan for a family of four.
On average, the employer paid 74% of this premium, or $8,510 per year. This figure does not include
the additional 1.45% payroll tax levied on employers for Medicare. Under H.R. 676, employers would
pay a 4.75% payroll tax for all health care costs. For an employee making the median family income of
$56,200 per year, the employer would pay about $2,700.
The Nation Will Pay About the Same, While Covering All Americans
Savings from reduced administration, bulk purchasing, and coordination among providers will allow
coverage for all Americans while reducing health care inflation in the long term. Annual savings from
enacting H.R. 676 are estimated at $387 billion (Baker).


Proposed Funding For USNHI Program
• Maintain current federal and state funding for existing health care programs
• Establish employer/employee payroll tax of 4.75% (includes present 1.45% Medicare tax)
• Establish a 5% health tax on the top 5% of income earners, 10% tax on top 1% of wage earners
• ¼ of 1% stock transaction tax
• Close corporate tax loopholes
• Repeal the Bush tax cuts for the highest income earners

*For more information, contact Joel Segal (joel.segal@mail.house.gov) or Michael Darner
(michael.darner@mail.house.gov) with Rep. John Conyers at 202 225-5126, or contact Olivia Boykins at
313 961-5670.

Tired of being taxed to death?

Let's see if this one gets printed anywhere...

Tired of being taxed to death?

Do you hate levy requests made continually by schools, road, police and fire departments, parks, libraries etc.? Get smart; taxpayers already pay 61% of the nation’s health care bills for public employees.  For taxes to stabilize, we must really reform the out of control health care costs we all pay.  Dumping the insurance companies is the first step toward simplifying paperwork for providers reducing costs. If you are unhappy with the health care reform passed by Congress, you owe it to yourself to learn about HR 676, Medicare for All.  You owe it to family and friends who are unemployed, have a pre-existing condition, has had their insurance coverage terminated, etc.  If you’re worried about “socialized medicine”, you have fallen victim to the medical-industrial complex’s ruthless campaign for obscene profit at your expense.  There is more than enough being spent to care well for everyone; we just aren’t getting the care.  30% is wasted on administration.  You need the facts not myths.  Visit www.pnhp.org and spanohio.org and wndavis.blogspot.com for more links.  Request a speaker for your organization.

MAYBE ANSWERS ARE OVER RAINBOW

MAYBE ANSWERS ARE OVER RAINBOW

BY DR. KATHLENE S. WALLER

FORT COLLINS COLORADOAN, MAY 6, 2010

Dear Auntie Em,

As I was just telling Toto a few days ago we're sure not in Kansas anymore.   We've noticed that things are very strange when it comes to health-care reform here in the land of Oz.

First of all, there is the Tin Man.   He's a Republican, and he sure could use a heart. President Obama extended his hand in a gesture of bipartisanship, but the Tin Man took his little ax and chopped the president's hand right off!

He didn't offer any good ideas himself, just tried to weaken any potential legislation and then voted against it anyway.  He also said that he wants the president to fail.   Can you imagine?   He didn't care about people suffering and dying because they can't afford health care; he just wanted to obstruct everything for the sake of politics.    I hope he is able to find a heart soon.

Then there's the Cowardly Lion.   He's a Democrat, and he could definitely use some courage.   He was so afraid to stand up to the health-care industry that he didn't even consider the best solution to the whole health-care mess: a single-payer financing system.

It doesn't take ruby slippers to understand that a single-payer system is the best way to assure that every person in this country has access to quality health care, while managing costs and saving billions of dollars.   But even while controlling Congress and the White House, he was so cowardly that he took single payer "off the table" at the beginning, starting the discussion with a much weaker public option that was later compromised away.

Most remarkable of all is the Scarecrow, who doesn't have a brain.   He is the loud, ill-informed segment of the American public that is opposed to any government involvement, while ignoring the fact that Medicare is a government-run financing system which has provided health care to the oldest and sickest members of our society for more than 45 years.

He can't seem to understand that having health insurance is not the same as having access to affordable health care, and that for-profit health insurance companies must do everything they can to deny care to sick people in order to maximize profits for shareholders.

Medicare is a single-payer system that could be improved and extended to all Americans from cradle to grave, but unfortunately, any mention of graves makes the poor Scarecrow worry about death panels since those flying monkeys in the right-wing media spread so many lies about health-care reform.   It would sure be helpful if the Scarecrow could find a brain.

I was told to follow the yellow brick road to the Emerald City, and I finally figured out that they were solid-gold bricks, leading to a city the color of greenbacks.   I should have known, since I found the Wizard of Oz behind a curtain of campaign contributions.   And guess what?   The wizard was the health insurance and pharmaceutical companies who wrote the health-care bill and stand to profit greatly from its implementation.

After our long and turbulent journey, the final legislation turned out to be mostly just smoke and mirrors!

Well, we've been through quite a storm.   Unfortunately, I guess real reform still lies somewhere over the rainbow ...

Love,

Dorothy