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New Legislation Pushing for a More Equitable Healthcare System
CaHPSA E-Newsletter ∙ Volume 2, Issue 7 ∙ January 2021
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Hello health justice advocates!
Healthcare has been a hot topic of discussion among many political groups as we start 2021. Our experience with this pandemic has gotten more people questioning why healthcare needs to be so expensive or why it needs to be tied to one's employment. While the movement for a universal healthcare system has been going on for a while in California, thanks to organizations like California Physicians Alliance and many others, there has been a big push for a state-funded universal health care system on the east coast as well. New York is attempting to pass the New York Health Act (NYHA), which would implement a single payer healthcare system for all residents and full time employees of New York State. The NYHA is sponsored in the New York State Assembly by Health Committee Chair Richard N. Gottfried (A.5248a) and in the Senate by State Senator Gustavo Rivera (S.3577a). This system would seek to remove all private insurance and place every New York resident and employee under a single, comprehensive universal healthcare plan provided by the state. By eliminating private health insurance, you also remove any restrictive networks and allow people to have full control over which medical provider they wish to see. This also means that there are no more co-pays, deductibles, or out-of-pocket expenses for patients. Medical providers can focus more of their time on their patients' treatments, and less of their time on the phone with insurance companies. To find out about more of the benefits of the New York Health Act, click here.
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A single payer system is very different from the current system at play in the United States, so there is a lot of doubt surrounding the effectiveness of such a system. One of the biggest questions surrounding a government funded system such as the one discussed above, is how it will be paid for? Most of the fear behind this question is based on the assumption that it will heavily raise taxes and that people will end up having to pay more than they currently do on healthcare. This is simply not true. According to the New York Health Campaign, moving to a single payer system would yield a net savings of about 11 billion dollars and would reduce healthcare costs for 90% of individuals. This saving comes from the absurd amount of money that is currently wasted on administrative costs and profiteering of these health insurance companies.
CaHPSA and CaPA are prominent supporters of the single payer movement and it is great to also see other states trying to implement this healthcare system. Developing a stable single payer system that works efficiently in a few states is the stepping stone to be able to recreate a similar system nationwide.
Onward,
California Health Professional Student Alliance (CaHPSA)
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Join Our Newsletter Team!!!
This newsletter was created by CaHPSA students as a way to introduce people to the world of healthcare advocacy and explain seemingly intimidating healthcare concepts in a easy to understand and entertaining format.
Since its foundation, we have come a long way and covered many topics in healthcare advocacy, political policy, and global health and we hope to continue this trend with your help!
We are looking for motivated individuals to join our team and help us create these newsletters. No experience necessary! If you are interested in helping write, edit, or design the CaHPSA E-Newsletter fill out the short application, here.
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GET INVOLVED!
Are you interested in taking a deeper look at public policy and healthcare reform? Join our Newsletter Team! Our team works to create engaging, creative newsletters on a variety of healthcare topics. Previous topics included health inequity, the need for healthcare reform, public policy updates, and more! We embrace CaHPSA’s passion for education and community outreach with our passion for knowledge and keeping our community updated. No experience necessary. This is open to all students and recent graduates. Contact us to learn more or get involved!
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Additional Volunteer and Leadership Opportunities:
1. Join our NEW statewide Advocacy Team: Create and distribute advocacy alerts and mobilize students to take action.
2. Join our NEW Media Team: Produce and share social media posts that reach students and activists throughout the state.
3. Join our Outreach Team: Collaborate with CaHPSA members to develop campus outreach strategies to engage more students in healthcare advocacy efforts.
4. Start a CaHPSA chapter on your campus: Launch CaHPSA efforts on your campus to create spaces for students to learn about health policy and how to take action.
5. Join Project White Coat: Become a Certified Enrollment Counselor (CEC) to assist community members with their applications for health insurance.
CONTACT US TODAY TO GET INVOLVED!
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Stay tuned for our next issue of the CaHPSA E-Newsletter!
Read our past newsletters here.
Questions? Suggestions for future newsletters? Contact us
CaHPSA is the student section of California Physicians Alliance (CaPA).
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