Regional News

April 09, 2017

Capital District Chapter of NYSARA Attend Rally on behalf of the New York Health Act

On April 4th, the 39th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King, a rally to further one of his legacy issues, healthcare for all was held. Supporters gathered in large numbers to support the New York Health Act, a single payer health care plan. Members of the Capital District Chapter of NYSARA, including chapter President Karen Wojcik Hess and Vice President Herb Hyde attended.

Richard N. Gottfried, Democratic Assemblyman representing Manhattan, and State Senator Bill Perkins, representing Harlem, sponsor the NY Health bill (A4738/S4371) to create a single-payer system for New York. Click HERE to view the text of the bill. For two years in a row, the bill passed the Assembly, a measure that would bring a single payer, Medicare for All system to New York. Under this system, the commercial insurance system would be replaced with a single payer, just as Medicare provides care to Americans 65 and older or for those with disabilities.

Votes in the NYS Assembly, in the 2015 and 2016 sessions, passed this important legislation. In 2017, supporters are gearing up to push this bill in the NYS Senate, and win a vote there. A step closer to making this NYS law!

This past December, Assemblymenber Gottfried noted, “Instead of regressive premiums, deductibles, co-pays and out-of-network charges, it would be funded fairly through broad-based taxes based on ability to pay,” Gottfried said. “The Assembly passed the bill in 2015 and 2016 – helping to move it from being ‘a great idea that could never happen’ to something really achievable. In 2017, we will continue to work to build public support so it can ultimately pass the Senate

.”