Missouri Single-Payer Bill Introduced
Ed Weisbart, MD, of PNHP-St. Louis, sends us this report about the introduction of Missouri’s state single-payer bill.
On May 4, 2012, the Missouri Health Care Policy committee gave a formal hearing to MO HB1405, a bill that would establish a MO state-wide single payer health plan. Two Physicians for a National Health Program physicians testified and one more wrote a strong letter in support. The bill has been consistently advanced thanks to the efforts of Missourians for Single Payer.
The first video below is the introduction of the bill from Rep. Mike Brown of the Kansas City area; the second is the testimonies, running a total of about 15 minutes. A big shout-out of thanks to Rep. Brown and all of our great co-sponsors.
We have to really thank Progress Missouri, a multi-issue progressive advocacy organization, for recording this and so generously sharing it with us all.
Ed Weisbart MD
PNHP-STL, Chair
Michael Brown Introduces HB1405
Members of the St. Louis chapter of Physicians for a National Health Program testify in support of single payer for Missouri
Thank You Missouri
This Simply Makes Senses. I Hope Ths Show Me State Shows The Rest Of America That This Is Good For All.
Congrats Misou.
The Missourians for Single Payer under Julia and Mimi and all of the members have worked tirelessly to make progress toward single payer health care in Missouri. I am glad that some of the doctors are now getting involved. We will only make progress when we work with our allies, the other thinking feeling human beings, who have seen that the light at the end of the healthcare tunnel is Medicare for All. We are fortunate in the Illinois 13th to have a physician candidate, Dr.David Gill who has been speaking out for single payer for many years!
With all the teabaggers infesting the legislature, this has no chance. But we must keep trying and hopefully one day we’ll see this state return to sanity and pass at least something like this.
I had no idea this was in the works! Thank you one and all for your work and let’s hope we can get this through at some point.
What are the chances of this bill being enacted into law? How much support does it have? How does it compare to H.R. 676? Many questions, but I am in favor of this type of legislation.
We both agree that Single Payer is the best way to go.
Way to go, Missouri! As one who has loved ones living in Missouri, I hope Missouri will live up to its nickname as the “Show Me” state and indeed show the rest of us how a state that is not known as a bastion of liberal politics can consider the benefits of a single-payer system for its residents and do what’s best for the businesses and the people of the state.
The simplest and quickest way to reduce health care costs is to eliminate the money wasted on health insurance, its profits and administrative costs, and the bureaucratic barriers it presents to health providers and consumers.