Working Toward Health Care for All
Any politics of human life must work to resist the violence of war and the scandal of capital punishment.
Any politics of human dignity must seriously address issues of racism, poverty, hunger, employment, education, housing, and
health care.
- Living the Gospel of Life, #22
Beginning our discussion of the rights of the human person, we see that everyone has the right to life,
to bodily integrity, and to the means which are suitable for the proper development of life; these are primarily food, clothing,
shelter, rest, medical care, and finally the necessary social services. Therefore a human being also has the right to security
in cases of sickness, inability to work, widowhood, old age, unemployment, or in any other case in which one is deprived of
the means of subsistence through no fault of one's own.
- Peace on Earth, #11
In a number of different
documents, Catholic social teaching strongly affirms that access to health care is a fundamental human right and an essential
feature of a healthy and just society. Yet, for too long our country has continued to support a health care system that leaves
millions without coverage and perpetuates high costs and uneven quality. Since
the collapse of the Clinton health care initiative in the 1990s, a political stalemate has emerged that has stifled
a serious public debate about health care reform. However, growing grassroots
activism and an opening from Congress may provide a catalyst for a new conversation.
What’s Happening?
Cover the Uninsured Week 2006 – May 1-7
Each year the Robert Wood
Johnson Foundation sponsors “Cover the Uninsured Week” to draw attention to the increasing number of Americans
without health coverage and to push for action to ensure quality affordable health care for all. Activities during the week include health fairs, seminars, town hall meetings, and campus activities involving
health care providers, community leaders, students and faith communities. Numerous
resources are available from the website to help with event planning and education and to encourage a broader dialogue about
health care. A few of these are listed below, but please visit the website for more information.
Take Action – Write to your Senators and Representative and urge them to make affordable, quality
health care for ALL a top priority!
Citizens Health Care Working Group
Back in 2003, a provision
was tucked into the controversial Medicare prescription drug legislation, to create the nonpartisan Citizen’s Health
Care Working Group to direct a federally-funded process to learn what kind of health care system Americans want and to present
recommendations and an action plan to encourage our elected leaders in their work for health care reform. This Working Group was formed last year and began taking public input at the beginning of this year, through
community meetings, virtual town hall meetings, surveys, and internet forums. These
activities will continue through mid-May and are open to ALL Americans.
Ways to Participate
- Respond
to the Working Group’s surveys on health care - available online until May 15th. These surveys include a
multiple choice poll and an opportunity to offer responses in your own words to four key questions:
- What concerns you most about health care in America
today?
- Our current way of paying for health care includes payments by individuals, employers, and government. Are there any changes that you think should be made to this system?
- What trade-offs do you think the American public is willing to make in either benefits or financing to
ensure access to affordable, high-quality care?
- What is your single most important recommendation to make to improve health care for all Americans?
(Sample answers to
these questions are available from the Making Health Care Work for All Campaign and from Results)
- Attend a Community Meeting – Although most of the community forums have already been held, there are a few remaining events.
To see if one of the meetings is taking place near you and to register, visit http://www.citizenshealthcare.gov/register/
- Hold Your Own Forum – Gather your friends, family, or your congregation and share your thoughts on health care. The Working Group has provided a toolkit to assist with organizing your meeting. Be sure to share your comments
with the Working Group!
- Visit the Citizen’s Health Care Working Group Website for more information!
NAC Position
The National Advocacy Center,
in accordance with the teachings of the church, strongly believes that everyone should have access to quality, affordable
health care. This belief is grounded in the Good Shepherd mission to continue
Jesus’ ministry of compassion, healing, and reconciliation and in our commitment lifting up the inherent dignity and
worth of every human being by ensuring justice for all. We strongly support efforts
to create a health care system that is:
- Accessible to all
- Affordable and Sustainable
- High Quality and Comprehensive
Health care is a moral good,
not an economic commodity and it is time for our national leaders to act to make our health care system work for everyone!
For additional information,
download NAC’s Health Care 1-pager and check back for more updates on particular legislative advocacy efforts.
Additional Resources
Citizen’s Health Care
Working Group – The Health Report to the American People
Institute of Medicine - Insuring America's Health: Principles and Recommendations
U.S. Conference
of Catholic Bishops – A Framework for Comprehensive Health Reform (PDF)
Universal Health Care Action
Network – Faith Project
