To: President Donald Trump, The United States House of Representatives, and The United States Senate
Universal Health Care Petition: Just Do It!
Health care is a human right. It is the essence of our survival.
It's time that the American government take care of its citizens, instead of health insurance special interest group. Everyone who is an elected official has a generous healthcare plan. But your constituents are bankrupting themselves in order to pay for the astronomical CEO salaries of supposed "health care providers."
Congress and Senate: make a pledge, right now, to vote for healthcare for your constituents that is equal to what you are getting yourself, paid by us, the voters.
It's our votes that have gotten this for you. It's time that you vote for our health as well.
Why is this important?
-In 2009, health care costs reached $2.5 trillion.[WTVQ.com]
The United States is the only wealthy, industrialized nation that does not have a universal health care system. Source: Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences
In 2006, the percentage of Americans without health insurance was 15.8%, or approximately 47 million uninsured people. [Source: US Census Bureau]
Among the 84.2% with health insurance in 2006, coverage was provided through an employer 59.7%, purchased individually 9.1%, and 27.0% was government funded (Medicare, Medicaid, Military). (There is some overlap in coverage figures.) [Source: US Census Bureau]
The primary reason given for lack of health insurance coverage in 2005 was cost (more than 50%), lost job or a change in employment (24%), Medicaid benefits stopped (10%), ineligibility for family insurance coverage due to age or leaving school (8%). [Source: National Center for Health Statistics]
- More than 40 million adults stated that they needed but did not receive one or more of these health services (medical care, prescription medicines, mental health care, dental care, or eyeglasses) in 2005 because they could not afford it.[ Source: National Center for Health Statistics]
And yet, one in three precious American health care dollars is wasted on profit and administration. [HuffingtonPost.com]
In fact, CEO salary compensation packages. They ranged form $717,000+ to $24 million. [DailyKoz.com]
The unemployment rate for January 2011 was 9 percent. For many, job loss not only means no income, but also a loss of health insurance coverage. Even many of those who are employed can’t afford the monthly premiums for health insurance. Researchers report about 58.7 million people in the U.S. had no health insurance for at least part of 2008. [Bureau of Labor Statistics via WTVQ.com]
- Most health insurance plans for women have an additional cost for pregnancy; worse yet, if a woman opts out, her medical expenses related to her pregnancy don't count toward her deductible. [SingleMindedWomen.com]