Wisconsin Green Party Endorses Senate Bill 51, Single Payer Universal Health Care for Wisconsin
Wisconsin Green Party
www.wisconsingreenparty.org
April 18, 2007
Released April 16, 2007
Contacts:
Ruth Weill Co-Chair, Wisconsin Green Party, spokesperson@wisconsingreenparty.org
414-350-2107
Ron Hardy, Co-chair, Wisconsin Green Party, spokesperson@wisconsingreenparty.org
920-292-8129
Wisconsin Green Party Endorses Senate Bill 51,
Single Payer Universal Health Care for Wisconsin
(Madison, WI) At its Spring Gathering and Membership Meeting on Saturday,
April 14th, held in the state capitol building, the Wisconsin Green Party
endorsed Senate Bill 51, a single payer universal health care bill. It was
re-introduced on February 20th by Senators Miller, Risser and Carpenter. It
is cosponsored by Representatives Benedict, Berceau, Black, Boyle, A. Williams,
Hebl, Parisi, Pocan, Pope-Roberts, Zepnick, Sinicki, Hilgenberg, Fields, Kessler and Grigsby. Hearings on the bill are
being held around the state.
"We see health care as a basic right for all people," said Ruth
Weill, Co-chair of the Wisconsin Green Party. "The Wisconsin Green Party has
consistently advocated for a universal single-payer health care system as
the best way to ensure that all Wisconsin residents have adequate health
care. Of all the Wisconsin bills that attempt to remedy our failing health
situation, SB 51 is the best."
Senate Bill 51 is a comprehensive plan to provide quality health care to all
Wisconsin residents regardless of health condition, medical history or
employment status. By replacing more than 700 different health insurers with
a single publicly financed plan, it would eliminate waste, runaway costs,
and red tape. It would be administered at the state and local level, accountable to the residents of Wisconsin.
"The price we are paying for health care is already taxing," said Ron Hardy,
Co-chair of the Wisconsin Green Party. "Our health care system is inadequate and expensive. High health care costs are putting pressure on
our businesses, our schools, our families, and our taxpayers. It is much
more prudent to implement a system that is efficient and effective, and
will provide health care for all of us."
Senate Bill 51 creates a system that would eliminate the unnecessary
administrative expenses of multiple insurance plans, physician overcharges,
and provider and insurance industry advertising costs and profits. It would
set a single statewide price for each medicinal substance, after negotiations to obtain lowest possible cost. All providers would be paid
from a statewide budget funded by: public funds already spent for health
care, fair share taxes on employers and individuals, savings from reduction
of paperwork, streamlined administration, and cost controls.
For more information about the Wisconsin Green Party, visit
http://www.wisconsingreenparty.org
For more information about Senate Bill 51, visit
<http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2007/data/SB51hst.html>