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Universal Health Care in Illinois Now! |
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by CCHCC (posted by Sarah Kanouse)
(No verified email address) |
14 Aug 2001
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A community forum in support of the Bernardin Amendment
Monday, August 20, 5:30 pm
Champaign Public Library
505 S. Randolph, Champaign
Join Dr. Quentin Young and Pat Quinn as they come through
C-U along a 167-mile walk across Illinois in support of the
Bernardin Amendment for HEALTH CARE FOR ALL! |
UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE IN ILLINOIS NOW!
____________________________________________________
A community forum in support of the Bernardin Amendment
Monday, August 20, 5:30 pm
Champaign Public Library
505 S. Randolph, Champaign
Join Dr. Quentin Young and Pat Quinn as they come through
C-U along a 167-mile walk across Illinois in support of the
Bernardin Amendment for HEALTH CARE FOR ALL!
____________________________________________________
The Bernardin Amendment guarantees at the state level access to high-quality, affordable health care for all Illinois residents. The amendment was named in honor of the Late Cardinal Joseph Bernardin and would require the State of Illinois commit by May 31, 2002 to establishing a universal health care system. Advocates intend to put this constitutional amendment mandating decent health care for everyone on the November 2002 statewide ballot.
The developers of the amendment -- 78-year old Dr. Quentin Young, MD, (past president of the American Public Health Association) and Pat Quinn (former Illinois Treasurer) -- are walking 167 miles across Illinois, from Rock Island to Chicago, in support of the Bernardin Amendment.
Please join Young, Quinn, and the Champaign County Health Care Consumers in the struggle for universal health care coverage by attending a community forum in support of the Bernardin Amendment on Monday, August 20 at 5:30 pm at the Champaign Public Library. The forum will feature speeches by
Young, Quinn, and representatives of local organizations supporting the Bernardin Amendment.
For more information in this issue or event, contact Brooke at CCHCCat 352-6533 x17 or brooke (at) shout.net or see http://www.DecentHealthCare.com or call 312-654-8888
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Q & A ABOUT THE BERNARDIN AMENDMENT
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What is the Bernardin Amendment?
The Bernardin Amendment, named after the Late Cardinal Bernardin and developed by nationally recognized health care advocate Dr. Quentin Young and former Illinois State Treasurer Pat Quinn, would amend Illinois\' Constitution to assert the right of decent health care for every individual. The Bernardin Amendment simply states that the State of Illinois must commit by May 31, 2002 to establish a universal health care system. It asks our elected officials,
who are all provided health insurance, if they believe the voters of Illinois should be given the opportunity to vote on whether or not universal health care, like education, should be a right in Illinois. If approved by the General Assembly, and ratified by the voters of Illinois, Article XIII, Section 9 of the Illinois State Constitution would read: Health Care is an essential safeguard of human life and dignity, and there is an obligation for the State of Illinois to
ensure that every resident is able to realize this fundamental right. On or before. May 31, 2002, the General Assembly by law shall enact a plan for universal health coverage that permits everyone in Illinois to obtain decent health care on a regular basis.
Why a Constitutional Amendment?
Health care is a human right, the best way to safeguard this right is to state it in the Illinois Constitution. It would also allow the voters to be heard. Throughout the long running debate on health care, the people have never been allowed to vote directly on this vital issue. The people must be heard!
Why is such an Amendment needed?
One in every 10 children in Illinois currently has no form of health insurance. Statewide, more than 1.3 million Illinois residents have no health insurance and countless others are uninsured. Every day more and more people find themselves without any form of coverage. A growing number of new jobs don\'t provide any form of health care coverage. The number one cause of bankruptcy for families has become unanticipated health care costs. Managed care plans are systematically denying consumers access to needed health care services. Health care economists are predicting that health care inflation will begin skyrocketing again at rates of 200% to 300% higher than the overall inflation rates. Many retirees thought that health care benefits were going to be
provided by their employers, only to find out that these benefits have been cut or do not exist at all. Medicare still does not cover the costs of prescription drugs.
Can the state afford this?
The state cannot afford not to do it. Uninsured children end up costing taxpayers much more in the long run. The Bernardin Amendment does not state support for any specific type of health care plan. Rather, it requires that whatever plan is in place for Illinois resident meets the basic standards of universal health care. States like Vermont and Hawaii have provided high levels of health care for residents for years without busting the bank.
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