| Q: | Isn’t that “socialized medicine” like they have in Canada? |
| A: | No. We believe that government, employers and individuals all have a role to play in a system that provides real health security, choice and high-quality health care for all. With American ingenuity and input from all Americans, we believe it possible, even necessary, to craft a uniquely American plan for health care reform. |
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| Q: | Do you support a particular plan in Congress or one that has been offered by a presidential candidate? |
| A: | There are many proposals out there, and we are ready to work with anyone to build a plan that meets the goal of secure, high-quality health care for all Americans. |
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| Q: | Do you support the Conyers bill (H.R. 676)? |
| A: | The Conyers bill is one bill that is in line with our vision for secure, high-quality health care for all Americans. Rather than wedding ourselves to one bill at this time, we are building grassroots support for health care reform and plan to work with a working family-friendly president and Congress to enact meaningful reform after 2008. |
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| Q: | Why don’t you offer or support a specific health care reform plan? |
| A: | There is no real chance that meaningful health care reform will be enacted while this president is still in office. Rather than fight a losing battle, we are mobilizing a 1-million-member mobilization team of activists and working with a broad group of allies to keep comprehensive health care reform at the top of the political agenda in 2008 and to ensure that the real work of fixing the health care system actually gets done after the elections. |
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| Q: | What are the elements of the campaign? |
| A: | This is a campaign of education, outreach and mobilization. We will help to arm working people with the knowledge they need to make informed choices about health care reform and become health care voters. We also will help our members make their voices heard in the health care debate, providing information about candidates’ positions on health care and inspiring them to take action. We will mobilize union members as never before to go to the polls to elect a president and Congress who will stand up for secure, high-quality health care for all. In addition to talking to our members, this campaign will be talking to allies, including not only other progressive organizations but also, crucially, employers. Our employers that have been providing good health benefits have a real stake in reforming health care and must be part of the debate and the solution. |
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| Q: | Why are unions involved in this issue? Don’t union members have health care through their union contracts? |
| A: | Unions have built a national standard of comprehensive health care benefits funded by employers. As the cost of health care spins out of control, businesses that offer health care are hobbled in a global marketplace and also are at a competitive disadvantage here at home. Today’s broken system drags down the American economy. And that hurts everyone. In addition, health care costs are increasingly the crux of many union negotiations, and union members say they simply can’t continue to take on increased costs. |
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| Q: | Why are you stepping into the health care debate now? |
| A: | Unions have been fighting for health care for decades. In fact, we supported and fought for universal health care coverage after World War II as part of the Fair Deal agenda and lost out to Big Business. When the nation then adopted an employer-based health care system, it was union members who fought in contract after contract to improve health care benefits and thus raised the standards for the nation. Today, the 2008 elections offer a unique window—Americans are ready as never before to fix our health care system. |
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| Q: | Which presidential candidate has the best health care proposal? |
| A: | We’ve seen proposals from several of the Democratic candidates, and all have met our basic requirements. None of the Republican candidates have put forth a suitable plan. We will work with all candidates willing to work with us to strengthen their plans. |
