Results of KVO's Delegates Assembly

The Delegates Assembly of KVO went very well. It was so nice to see so many familiar faces. Delegates had to pick five out of twenty proposals for their top choices for health care reform. The proposals were gleaned from the health care stories from each of KVO's member organizations. The top 5 proposals are: Health care is a BASIC HUMAN RIGHT stemming from the sanctity of human life. A JUST SOCIETY must ensure that everyone receives compassionate, comprehensive and competent health care, independent of employment, age, health or family history. Health care should emphasize PREVENTION, and preventive medical care should be covered by every patient’s health care policy. AFFORDABILITY: Everyone pays on a sliding scale, based on financial ability. Special efforts should be made to provide care for geographic areas and populations that have been UNDERSERVED, such as rural areas, inner cities, and impoverished communities. Insurance companies and other third party payers, the pharmaceutical industry, and other commercial interests should not function as barriers to care, or impede the provider/patient relationship in making medical decisions. Representing MSEA-SEIU Local 1989 were Bruce Hodsdon, 1989's president; Melanie Collins, member of the child care provider's unit, 1989's newest bargaining unit; and Scott Neumeyer, an Area II director. Scott also gave testimony by presenting his health care story to the delegation. His story is very scary as well as very enlightening. It is scary in that he is very young and has two major diseases. These diseases came at a time when he had no health insurance. He and his wife made those tough choices of buying medicine, buying food, paying for the lights and buying oil. The enlightening bit is that he is Canadian born. When he came to the US, he thought it very odd to have to pay for a doctor's visit; very odd that there was a "VISA" sign on the door. MEPASA was also represented with delegates Joyce Gagnon, Dee Strout, Roberta Record and Julie Moulton. (Roberta and Julie are also my fellow Voices Institute graduates. It was so nice to see them.) KVO also had a Health Care Panel that presented insightful information on the state of health care in this country. The panel consisted of: Doug Clopp, Policy Analyst, Consumers for Affordable Health Care (CAHC); Glenn Beamer, Director, Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center; Kerry Sirois, Administrator, Mount St. Joseph Holistic Care Community; Peter Crockett, Health Care Organizer, Central Maine Labor Council (AFL-CIO). Next comes Phase 3: Candidates Forum on Health Care On September 28, 2008, KVO will present our health care agenda to legislative candidates and ask them how they would work to support our health care goals if elected. KVO will continue working beyond the fall of 2008 to ensure that everyone has access to quality, affordable health care. For more information on this campaign and other things KVO is working on, check out KVO's website at http://www.kvo.org/ or contact KVO Lead Organizer Dan Koehler at dan.koehler2@gmail.com or get in touch with me helen.hnsn@gmail.com to find out how you can help the KVO Health Care Team.