Rekindling Reform Principles

The 2005-2006 Health Action Program of Rekindling Reform

• We are following the work of the Citizen's Health Care Working Group as it implements the two year nation wide consultative process mandated by section 1014 of the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003. We will utilize opportunities for contributing testimony and promoting public discussion and debate on how best to make health care more affordable and move out country further towards quality affordable health care for all.

• We will work towards the development of effective proposals to enable the State of New York to initiate bulk purchasing of prescription of drugs for public and private programs as well as for persons without coverage.

• We will seek to educate state and local candidates for public office on 2006 on the pressing issues of health reform and encourage them to commit themselves to supporting such reforms.

• We are collaborating with the Hunger Action Network of New York State and the Long Island Coalition for a National Health Plan to help shape and promote Assembly Bill l(A.6575) to create a legislative commission to explore alternative pathways by which New York State could move towards health are for all. The effort to enact this bill is continuing. Over 250 groups are backing this legislation including Local 1199, the working Families Party and the UJS-federal of New York.

• In 2004-2005, RR sponsored four seminars which studied state-based health care which were designed to generate strategies for such initiatives in New York state. Additional state-based health care seminars are planed for 2005 -2006.

• We will continue to work with Jobs With Justice and support the Quinn Bill.

• We will continue to examine the state health care initiatives and seek to learn from the promising work being done in Maine, California, Illinois ,Maryland, Vermont and elsewhere.

2004-2005: A Record of Achievement in Advancing Health Reform

• Sponsored a forum on health issues in the 2004 campaign which took place the NYU Medical Center

• Issued a paper showing how the defense of Social Security is critical for health reform.

• Issued a paper opposing the further conversion of not-for-profit health entities to profit-making status.

• Together with Jobs With Justice, co-sponsored a forum on the significance of the proposed NYC health Security Act, which took place at the Community Service Society.

Initiatives to Advance the Achievement of Universal Health Care:

• Co-sponsored a major symposium on women's health at NYU together with the Wagner School of Public Service, the Women's City Club and many other organization Collaborated with the Lewin Group to develop a framework document on three different approaches for moving towards universal health care by extending Medicare eligibility to new populations.

• Collaborated with the Division of Social Issues of the New York State Psychological Association and other mental health organization in a meeting which put the spotlight on the problems New Yorkers are having in achieving mental and physical health parity.

• Consulted with representatives of organized labor to encourage the emergence of proposals for universal health care that build on the interests of unions and their members.

The 2005-2006 Health Action Program of Rekindling Reform

• We are following the work of the Citizen's Health Care Working Group as it implements the two year nation wide consultative process mandated by section 1014 of the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003. We will utilize opportunities for contributing testimony and promoting public discussion and debate on how best to make health care more affordable and move out country further towards quality affordable health care for all.

• We will work towards the development of effective proposals to enable the State of New York to initiative bulk purchasing of prescription of drugs for public and private programs as well as for persons without coverage.

• We will seek to educate state and local candidates for public office on 2006 on the pressing issues of health reform and encourage them to commit themselves to supporting such reforms.

• We are collaborating with the Hunger Action Network of New York State and the Long Island Coalition for a National Health Plan to help shape and promote Assembly Bill l(A.6575) to create a legislative commission to explore alternative pathways by which New York State could move towards health are for all. The effort to enact this bill is continuing. Over 250 groups are backing this legislation including Local 1199, the working Families Party and the UJS-federal of New York.

• In 2004-2005, RR sponsored four seminars which studied state-based health care which were designed to generate strategies for such initiatives in New York state. Additional state-based health care seminars are planed for 2005 -2006.

• We will continue to work with Jobs With Justice and support the Quinn Bill.

• We will continue to examine the state health care initiatives and seek to learn from the promising work being done in Maine, California, Illinois ,Maryland, Vermont and elsewhere.