Thomas Houchin, President of the IAMAW District 27 Retirees’ Organization
and President of the Greater Louisville AFL-CIO Retirees, announced that
both of those organizations have endorsed HR 676, Expanded and Improved
Medicare for All. HR 676 is the national single payer legislation
introduced by Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) and co-sponsored by 76
congresspersons.

District 27 IAMAW represents Machinists’ members in the metropolitan
Louisville area including southern Indiana.

“As retirees we are concerned that our nation must preserve Medicare, not
just for us, but also for our children and grandchildren,” said Houchin.
“With HR 676, an Improved Medicare for All will be able to negotiate the
rates for prescription drugs just like the Veterans Administration does,
getting them for 40% less. That will secure and improve our Medicare for
the future.”

“With HR 676, we will end the co-pays and deductibles that hurt so much
for those on fixed incomes. And we will be able to cover everyone, not
just those over 65. We believe that labor must move the country forward
and lead this campaign to assure national single payer health care, HR
676,” concluded Houchin.

HR 676 would institute a single payer health care system by expanding a
greatly improved Medicare to everyone residing in the U. S.

HR 676 would cover every person for all necessary medical care including
prescription drugs, hospital, surgical, outpatient services, primary and
preventive care, emergency services, dental (including oral surgery,
periodontics, endodontics), mental health, home health, physical therapy,
rehabilitation (including for substance abuse), vision care and
correction, hearing services including hearing aids, chiropractic, durable
medical equipment, palliative care, podiatric care, and long term care.

HR 676 ends deductibles and co-payments. HR 676 would save hundreds of
billions annually by eliminating the high overhead and profits of the
private health insurance industry and HMOs.

In the current Congress, HR 676 has 76 co-sponsors in addition to Conyers.

HR 676 has been endorsed by 589 union organizations including 139 Central
Labor Councils and Area Labor Federations and 40 state AFL-CIO’s (KY, PA,
CT, OH, DE, ND, WA, SC, WY, VT, FL, WI, WV, SD, NC, MO, MN, ME, AR, MD-DC,
TX, IA, AZ, TN, OR, GA, OK, KS, CO, IN, AL, CA, AK, MI, MT, NE, NJ, NY, NV
& MA).

For further information, a list of union endorsers, or a sample
endorsement resolution, contact:

Kay Tillow
All Unions Committee For Single Payer Health Care–HR 676
c/o Nurses Professional Organization (NPO)
1169 Eastern Parkway, Suite 2218
Louisville, KY 40217
(502) 636 1551
Email: nursenpo@aol.com

http://unionsforsinglepayer.org
4/3/2012