Sunday, February 11, 2007

What We Stand For

Our organization uses the following to evaluate any proposal for change in the existing arrangements for health care:

Whereas, it is the role and function of government to see that all have access to necessary health care, we support reform and funding of a health care system that guarantees:


1. all residents access to quality, comprehensive health care explicitly defined as a human right.
    As medically necessary care is a human right, the term "Charity care" for those who cannot pay for medical services should be considered antiquated in any humane society.

2. that the pursuit of corporate profit and personal fortune has no place in health care decisions.
    Public policy decisions on health care legislation and regulations must be based on acceptance of the social contract that treats health care as a right, not a commodity. In a democracy, the public should set health policies and budgets.

3. that care and treatment decisions by doctors and other health care professionals are based on professional judgments as to the best interests of the patient, in no way influenced by insurance and payment circumstances.

4. that personal medical decisions are made by patients with their caregivers, not by corporate or government bureaucrats

5. that financial barriers to appropriate and necessary medical care are eliminated.

6. patients have the freedom to choose their health care professionals.

7. the establishment of serious, effective and enduring cost-containment measures. This may dictate that duplication of services and equipment be eliminated in some regions. Measures to severely punish corporate fraud in billing for medical services must be instituted and enforced.

8. a simple, clear, easy-to-understand system of health care that is efficient to administer and allows no room for any part of the system to pass the buck, denying services to those in need of medically necessary care.

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