Petition

SIGN THE PETITION, SUPPORT THE BILL!

It’s time to fix New York’s broken healthcare system. No one should suffer, die, or go bankrupt because they need medical care. There is a simple, proven, and effective solution. All it needs is your support.

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One in Three Million. A Personal Story:
Like almost three million other New Yorkers, Manny Lanza had no health insurance. Despite being named Employee of the Year at his job, Manny was part-time and thus ineligible for insurance. Just 24 years old, Manny was hospitalized with a seizure. Though his condition was treatable, the hospital repeatedly put off his surgery, citing his inability to pay. After months of delays, the condition worsened and Manny died. The hospital then came after his family with a $55,000 bill. Sadly, Manny’s story is not unique.

Why This Is Important
Every day, another five New Yorkers die needlessly. It’s so common that it no longer makes the headlines. In the last ten years, an estimated 20,000 New Yorkers died unnecessarily due to lack of health insurance. Almost 3 million New Yorkers lack health insurance, and millions more have plans that would bankrupt them when faced with a medical emergency. If you’re lucky enough to have a decent health plan, chances are you have been forced to cover more of the cost every year, while having to fight denials and limitations.

Together, we can end this healthcare nightmare. But we can’t afford to wait for politicians or the multimillion dollar insurance industry to take the lead.

Won’t Obama’s Healthcare Bill Solve Our Problems?
Even after the Affordable Care Act goes into effect, roughly 1.6 million New Yorkers will remain uninsured – more than the entire population of Manhattan. Just like Manny, these people will have to fight to get life saving care; they will be treated like second-class citizens and their families will face devastating bills for what little care they do receive. Under Obama’s bill, millions more New Yorkers will be forced to buy private insurance and will end up with inadequate plans that leave them one emergency away from bankruptcy. In addition, Obama’s bill doesn’t reign in costs, and millions of New Yorkers will still be stuck working jobs just for the insurance. We can and must do better. To save ourselves and our families from this fate, we need to pass a truly universal, single-payer healthcare system.

The Solution Is Clear
That’s where you come in. By signing this petition, you will send a message to Governor Cuomo that you believe healthcare should be treated as a basic right for all New Yorkers, not a luxury for those who can afford it. This petition urges Governor Cuomo to enact a bill that would set up a universal single-payer healthcare system in New York state similar to an expanded Medicare plan or the Canadian system.

What this means is simple. Instead of having to worry about having health insurance through your job, spouse, or buying it on your own, all New Yorkers would automatically have their healthcare covered by a statewide fund, regardless of employment or financial means. Everyone would have access to healthcare the way everyone has access to the fire department, libraries, and schools – public services provided without your ever having to worry about a bill.

How Would My Healthcare Change?
You would have more choice, better care, and pay less. That is, you would have the freedom to see any doctor you want without having to worry about whether they take your insurance. You would also have access to more care than any insurance company would ever allow, from primary and preventative care to vision, dental, hearing, and rehabilitation. This also means your doctor would have more freedom to treat you as needed. Best of all, you would never have to worry about paying a medical bill again.

How Much Would This Cost Me?
Unlike the skyrocketing fees currently charged by private insurers, contributions to the state health fund would come from progressive taxation — meaning you pay only what you can afford. Since your rate would be a percentage of what you make, your costs would never go up unexpectedly as they do now whenever your insurance company wants to boost its profits. Plus, no one would ever have to worry about getting billed before (or after) receiving treatment. No co-pays. No deductibles. No medical bills. As proven around the world, it’s also much cheaper to provide healthcare to everyone than to treat it as a private commodity the way we do now.

This Can’t Happen Without You
The reality is our healthcare crisis won’t fix itself. Politicians hear mostly from the insurance and pharmaceutical industries, who spend more money lobbying than any other industries. They’ll do anything to keep making millions by denying us care when we need it most. By signing this petition, you help build the people power movement necessary to overcome their influence and demand what every other industrialized country already has: a healthcare system that treats healthcare as a basic right.

The Time is Now
Sign the petition and help finally bring an end to our inhumane, for-profit health insurance system. No more bankruptcies due to medical debt. No more denials due to lack of coverage. Just healthcare for every resident of New York.

For more information on the bill and links to our sources, please see our user-friendly F.AQ. Guide to the Bill.