N.Y. needs to embrace single payer health care

expressed their hopes that the US would join the rest of the developed world in the proviOn a glorious early fall Sunsion of affordable, quality, uniday afternoon, 50 concerned versal healthcare. Audience citizens from Utica and the surmembers heard how home visrounding area spent two hours its by doctors are a routine part listening to a panel of speakers of healthcare in the UK at no discuss single payer healthcare, cost to patients. Panelists spoke and the systems that are being of the freedom to choose their proposed at both the New York preferred doctors, the constate and the federal US levels. sistently excellent and comThe forum was organized by passionate care they received the Health Care Sub-Committee abroad, and the significantly of Indivisible Mohawk Valley, shorter wait times to see speindivisiblemv.com/ cialists than here in the Mo

Dr. Sunny Aslam, assistant hawk Valley. professor of psychiatry at UpDuring Q and A, audience state University Hospital in members discussed how navSyracuse and member of Phyigating the US insurance sicians for a National Health markets is a source of ongoProgram (PNHP), opened the ing stress and anxiety shared forum by discussing the impliby both patients and healthcations of single payer healthcare providers. There was gencare at the national level. Dr. eral agreement that we need to Aslam noted that “No counbuild on the gains made by the try that has adopted univerAffordable Care Act, and that sal health care has ever gone single payer healthcare would back. Why? Because it is betbe an improvement for everyter healthcare. It’s also moreone.efficient with only a 2-3 percent The success of this single administrative cost compared payer healthcare forum has ento 12-18 percent the way the US couraged the organizing comdoes it now.” mittee to repeat this event

Jeanette Zoeckler, director throughout the region. Stay of Research and Special Projtuned! ects with the Occupational Health Clinical Centers in Syracuse, followed. She spoke about the New York Health Act which provides a single payer solution for New York state residents, and has already passed the NYS Assembly and is one vote shy of passage in the NYS Senate. Dr. Zoeckler described the significant savings that 98 percent of New Yorkers would reap once this legislation is implemented, as well as other benefits including improved co-ordination of care.

In addition, a panel of local residents who have lived in countries with single-payer health care systems shared their positive experiences, and

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