Thirty Years Later Single Payer is Still a Bad Proposal

Thirty years ago, the Single Payer legislation known as the New York Health Act was first introduced in the State Legislature. A lot has changed since then, but the legislation hasn’t.

New York has made great strides in reducing the rate of uninsured – to less than 5% – through the current public-private health care model. Recent state and Federal actions have made care more accessible and affordable than ever before.

Instead of living in the past, lawmakers should adopt further measures to make affordable, universal coverage a reality, including expanding coverage for low-income undocumented immigrants. By covering the undocumented population and getting the remaining uninsured who are eligible covered, New York could become the first state in the nation to make health care coverage universally available and affordable to all.

The members of the Realities of Single Payer urge Legislators and the Governor to oppose the New York Health Act. After thirty years of debate, it’s time to move on.

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About Realities of Single Payer

Realities of Single Payer is a coalition of 157 organizations united in support of universal coverage but in opposition to legislation that would create a Single Payer health care system in New York.

The group supports universal health care coverage for all New Yorkers. It believes coverage should be provided through a combination of private and government funded health insurance. We support allowing a variety of health care coverage options – employer-based, private and public health insurance programs – rather than forcing all New Yorkers to use a single government-run health insurance program.

The goal of Realities of Single Payer is to provide accurate information on this critical health care issue.

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