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class=title>Labor unions back Gottfried-Perkins plan for universal,
publicly-funded health care</H1></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
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target=_blank>By Tiffany Brooks</A><BR>Staff Writer</SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV><SPAN style="Z-INDEX: 290; LINE-HEIGHT: 20px; FONT-SIZE: 14px"
class=body><SPAN style="Z-INDEX: 290" class=cutline><FONT size=3>Manhattan
Democrat Richard Gottfried, right, the Assembly Health Committee chair,
showed his support for New York Health, a single payer health care
program, during a press conference last week. Bob Master, left, political
director for the CWA's District 1, said Obamacare was a good first step,
but it is not enough. </FONT><A style="Z-INDEX: 290; COLOR: black"
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href="http://www.legislativegazette.com/1evisualtablebody.lasso?photographer=Richard%20Moody"
rel=nofollow target=_blank><FONT size=3><I>Photo by Richard
Moody</I>.</FONT></A></SPAN></SPAN></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
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class=body><SPAN
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class=editorialdate><FONT size=3>February 17,
2014</FONT></SPAN></SPAN></DIV><SPAN
style="Z-INDEX: 290; LINE-HEIGHT: 20px; FONT-SIZE: 14px" class=body><FONT
size=3>During a press conference last week labor unions joined the push for a
single payer health care program in New York.<BR><BR>The Working Families Party,
Service Employees International Union 1199, and the Communication Workers of
America District 1 last Tuesday joined Assembly Health Committee Chair Richard
Gottfried, D-Manhattan, to support New York Health, a single payer health care
program.<BR><BR>"The Affordable Care Act has made good and important
improvements to our health care system," Gottfried said. "But it is very clear
that even with all the improvement in the federal health care reform. We're
still in the hands of insurance companies with the high premiums, out-of-sight
deductibles, co-pays, numerous limited provider networks, insurance bureaucrats
telling us what coverage they'll pay for, or wont, and what doctor we can go see
at what hospital. We need health coverage that is designed for patients, not for
insurance companies."<BR><BR>The proposed New York Health is a publicly funded
universal health care plan for all New Yorkers, with no premium, deductibles, or
co-pays. Benefits would also include primary and preventive care, outpatient and
inpatient medical care, prescription drugs, laboratory tests, rehabilitation,
dental, vision, and hearing coverage.</FONT></SPAN></DIV></DIV>
<P><FONT size=3><SPAN
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 20px; FONT-FAMILY: 'Lucida Grande', Geneva, Verdana, sans-serif; FONT-SIZE: 14px">A
version of the bill (A.5389-a/S.2978-a) has been introduced every year since the
1990s.</SPAN><BR
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 20px; FONT-FAMILY: 'Lucida Grande', Geneva, Verdana, sans-serif; FONT-SIZE: 14px"><BR
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 20px; FONT-FAMILY: 'Lucida Grande', Geneva, Verdana, sans-serif; FONT-SIZE: 14px"><SPAN
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 20px; FONT-FAMILY: 'Lucida Grande', Geneva, Verdana, sans-serif; FONT-SIZE: 14px">"As
Assemblyman Gottfried said, the passage of Obamacare represented a huge advance
in this country the principle that almost all Americans are entitled to access
to affordable health care, but it's not enough," said Bob Master, the political
director for the CWA's District 1.</SPAN><BR
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 20px; FONT-FAMILY: 'Lucida Grande', Geneva, Verdana, sans-serif; FONT-SIZE: 14px"><BR
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 20px; FONT-FAMILY: 'Lucida Grande', Geneva, Verdana, sans-serif; FONT-SIZE: 14px"><SPAN
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 20px; FONT-FAMILY: 'Lucida Grande', Geneva, Verdana, sans-serif; FONT-SIZE: 14px">Currently,
the bill has support from groups such as United Auto Workers, Physicians for a
National Health Program, New York State Nurses Association, and 87 state
legislators.</SPAN><BR
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 20px; FONT-FAMILY: 'Lucida Grande', Geneva, Verdana, sans-serif; FONT-SIZE: 14px"><BR
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 20px; FONT-FAMILY: 'Lucida Grande', Geneva, Verdana, sans-serif; FONT-SIZE: 14px"><SPAN
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 20px; FONT-FAMILY: 'Lucida Grande', Geneva, Verdana, sans-serif; FONT-SIZE: 14px">The
Senate Health Committee and Assembly Codes Committee are currently reviewing the
bill.</SPAN><BR
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 20px; FONT-FAMILY: 'Lucida Grande', Geneva, Verdana, sans-serif; FONT-SIZE: 14px"><BR
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 20px; FONT-FAMILY: 'Lucida Grande', Geneva, Verdana, sans-serif; FONT-SIZE: 14px"><SPAN
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 20px; FONT-FAMILY: 'Lucida Grande', Geneva, Verdana, sans-serif; FONT-SIZE: 14px">"As
tireless advocates of patient care, registered nurses of New York state are
proud to stand with Assembly Health Committee Chair, Richard Gottfried, state
Senator Bill Perkins, and countless other patient advocates in support of the
New York health bill," said Lisa Blodgett, a registered nurse and member of the
New York Nurse's Association. "There's a health care crisis throughout our state
and the only solution is a single payer system that guarantees quality health
care to all."</SPAN></FONT></P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>