Rian Van Leuven, President of the Idaho State AFL-CIO, announced that on
June 12, 2013, the delegates to the 55th Annual Idaho State AFL-CIO
Convention passed a resolution to publicly endorse and support H.R. 676,
Single Payer Healthcare.

Further the resolution states “That the Idaho State AFL-CIO will develop
working relationships with community organizations in Idaho which advocate
for single-payer healthcare and Medicaid expansion.”

Louis Schlickman, MD, an Idaho physician who practices in Meridian and is
Co Chair of the Physicians for a National Health Program state chapter,
showed the movie Escape Fire and made a single payer presentation to the
convention prior to the passage of the resolution.

After the resolution for HR 676 was passed by the Idaho State AFL-CIO
Convention, Dr. Schlickman stated that, “Collectively we are all realizing
that unions in general can play a huge role in helping others, not just
union workers, see the merit in a single payer financing system of care.”

Dr. Schlickman observed that union members “have seen how one unexpected
illness or injury leads to significant catastrophes of health and income
status. And most important, they understand the issue of solidarity.”

Idaho is the 43rd State AFL-CIO Federation to endorse HR 676, which was
introduced into the 113th Congress by Representative John Conyers (D MI).
The bill is subtitled Expanded and Improved Medicare for All.

HR 676 would institute a single payer health care system by expanding a
greatly improved Medicare to everyone residing in the U. S.

HR 676 would cover every person for all necessary medical care including
prescription drugs, hospital, surgical, outpatient services, primary and
preventive care, emergency services, dental (including oral surgery,
periodontics, endodontics), mental health, home health, physical therapy,
rehabilitation (including for substance abuse), vision care and
correction, hearing services including hearing aids, chiropractic, durable
medical equipment, palliative care, podiatric care, and long term care.

HR 676 ends deductibles and co-payments. HR 676 would save hundreds of
billions annually by eliminating the high overhead and profits of the
private health insurance industry and HMOs.

In the current Congress, HR 676 has 43 co-sponsors in addition to Conyers.

HR 676 has been endorsed by 604 union organizations including 145 Central
Labor Councils/Area Labor Federations and 43 state AFL-CIO’s (KY, PA, CT,
OH, DE, ND, WA, SC, WY, VT, FL, WI, WV, SD, NC, MO, MN, ME, AR, MD-DC, TX,
IA, AZ, TN, OR, GA, OK, KS, CO, IN, AL, CA, AK, MI, MT, NE, NJ, NY, NV,
MA, RI, NH, & ID).

For further information, a list of union endorsers, or a sample
endorsement resolution, contact:

Kay Tillow
All Unions Committee for Single Payer Health Care–HR 676
c/o Nurses Professional Organization (NPO)
1169 Eastern Parkway, Suite 2218
Louisville, KY 40217
(502) 636 1551

Email: nursenpo@aol.com
http://unionsforsinglepayer.org
7/01/13