Over the last few years ROP member groups have been advocating for fair and equitable access to healthcare for all our community members. This Legislative Session several ROP member groups, in partnership with ally organizations, have lead the charge calling for a Single Payer program in Oregon.
The Oregon Affordable Health Care for All Act HB 3510 is a major step toward health justice in Oregon and the nation. In Canada single payer programs began in one province and spread throughout that nation. Initiatives are underway in some 20 US states. If we can pass single payer legislation in Oregon, California (where it was twice vetoed by Schwarzeneger) and Washington, this can be the tipping point for single payer health throughout the US.
Briefly, single payer is a system that pools all public and private health insurance dollars, creates a single risk pool (everybody in, nobody out!), eliminates the 30% of health costs currently eaten up by insurance co overhead and profits, and provides genuine universal coverage. With our help Oregon can lead the way.
Read more about Oregon Single Payer
Join ROPers in Salem on March 11th for a Single Payer Action Day. If you can not be in Salem on March 11th there will be members of the ROP Board present and testifying. Write a letter of support from your group to be included in the written testimony and email it to cara(at)rop.org.
– Florence Coalition for Change (Coastal Lane County, Oregon)