Federal Health Care Reform

UU voices were joined with many advocates who have been working intensively to obtain support for health care reform. Your voices were heard. Thank you!

On November 7, the Affordable

Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962), was passed 220-215. It is the first time major health care legislation has passed since Medicare 44 years ago and the first comprehensive health reform bill to pass in Congress after 100 years of trying! This legislation would decrease the 17% who do not have health insurance to 4% which is 36 million more by 2019. The bill is not perfect, but is a major step forward.

We urge you to communicate with Senators Ben Cardin and Barbara Mikulski asking them to support major legislation to reform health care and insurance that meets our principles for real health care reform

Thank the Maryland delegation for their votes in favor of HR 3962 and urge Representatives Kratovil and Bartlett to change their vote to support when it comes before them after the Conference Committee.

For more background on federal proposals, go to an interactive side-by-side-comparison healthreform.kff.org of the major
comprehensive reform proposals by the President and members of Congress. For sources for additional background information, see the links below.

Maryland Health Care Reform

During the 2009 General Assembly session, several bills had hearings, but no action was taken that would move Maryland forward in trying to achieve major reform. The Health Care Affordability Act (SB 813/HB 951), based on the Health Care for All Plan, builds on the current system of employer-based coverage, Medicare, Medicaid, SCHIP and individual coverage to cover everyone with more affordable health care insurance. The Maryland Health System Act of 2009 (SB 881)/Maryland Health Security Act of 2009(HB 1186) proposes a single system that is not dependent on employment. Members of our Task Force on Health Care testified in support of these bills, as well as several others of more narrow focus and scope.

UULM-MD continues to work with the Maryland Citizens' Health Initiative to determine the most effective next steps in the effort to expand health care to include all Marylanders. Click here to get more information from the Maryland Citizens' Health Initiative.

For additional information on health care issues, check out:
Health Care for America Now!
Faithful Reform in Health Care
Families USA
Medicaid Matters
Maryland Women’s Coalition for Health Care Reform
Montgomery Health Care Action
UULM-MD California

UULM-MD members at a faith leaders press conference for health care expansion.

The UULM-MD Board of Directors has adopted guidelines that UUs may use when fiscal issues arise in relation to our priority issues, such as global warming. Please click here to read the guidelines.

For more information on this issue, please contact us at healthcare@uulmmd.org.

UULM-MD has beenfunded in part by the Fund for UU Social Responsibility and the UU Service Committee.

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Unitarian Univeralist Legislative Ministry of Maryland
c/o Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis
333 Dubois Road | Annapolis, MD 21401
410.353.5904 (phone) | info@uulmmd.org