Delaware General Assembly

Senate Finance 6/4/09

The General Assembly has ended, the current status is the final status.

6/4/09

McDowell

Reps. Jaques, Kowalko

Sen. Henry, Marshall, Sokola, Ennis
Reps. D.P. Williams, Brady, J. Johnson, Keeley, Longhurst, M. Smith, Plant, Schooley, B. Short, Viola

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 31 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DELAWARE HEALTH SECURITY ACT.

This Delaware Health Security Act will provide all current and future Delaware citizens, out-of-state workers employed 20 hours or more per week in Delaware and our state's economy a non-government run (NOT socialized medicine) program and cost effective single payer health care system. This system eliminates totally unnecessary health insurance company multi-payer brokers and will save approximately 40 percent of our total health care funds now wasted on costly paperwork, profits, advertising, lobbying, fraud, etc. Hard-working citizens provide approximately 90 percent of our state's health care funds via taxes (70%) and out-of-pocket expenses (20%) and this Act enables these funds to provide universal, comprehensive health care coverage to them and their families. These annual savings and a stabilized funding structure with accountable budgets will enable our state to provide the following health care benefits to all citizens and create a magnet-type economy that will both attract and retain private businesses: . Comprehensive health care coverage (physicians and specialists, hospital needs, long-term care of all kinds, pharmaceutical drugs, dental care, mental health treatment, drug rehabilitation, all needed therapies, special equipment and aids, laboratory tests, family planning, etc.) from conception until death without any extra health insurance or out-of-pocket expense for co-payments or deductibles; . Eliminates the huge annual increases in health care costs; only the lower rate of inflation will apply; . Will return all health care decision-making to physicians, dentists and other health care professionals whereas now they have to obtain permission on some decisions from profit-protecting administrators of health insurance companies; . Eliminates the pauper requirement that one must give up all savings and property before receiving Medicare/Medicaid funds for long-term care; . Will eliminate huge health care debts, a major cause of personal bankruptcies and the ability to buy and keep a home; . Will eliminate the destructive, debilitating effects of chronic stress and anxiety on our uninsured, underinsured and their families; . Will significantly correct our ranking of from 45th to lower among the states on health care challenges such as well babies, women's health, cancer, etc.; and . Personal health care savings will add more than $1 billion annually to our state's economy. This Act will be administered by a 15-member Delaware Health Security Board comprised as follows: State Secretary of the Health and Social Services Department, appointed by the Governor; Two members from both the State House of Representatives and the State Committees concerned with health care issues; Five members from state health professional organizations and five members from state consumer organizations that have endorsed single payer reform at least 5 years before passage of this Act. There will be a County Advisory Council in each of our state's three counties. The appointments and membership will be from the same sources as the State Health Security Board with the requirement that all Council members must be residents of the county they serve. These County Advisory Councils will work with and through the State Board and four State Divisions in more effectively implementing the planning, operation and evaluation of the Delaware Health Security Act. Funding for the Delaware Health Security Act will be as follows: . All state and federal funds available for health and health care costs in Delaware; . Employer (Employees can contribute) graduated payroll tax of from 4 percent for employers with from two to nine employees to 9 percent for businesses with 50 or more employees. This Act will reduce what employers are now paying for their employee/retiree health care; . A Health Security Tax of 2.5 percent on net taxable income for those who file individual or joint income tax returns in Delaware; . An additional Health Security Surtax on net taxable income of 2.5 percent for persons filing a Delaware income tax return in excess of $250,000. Married couples filing a joint Delaware income tax return shall pay an additional income surtax of 2.5 percent on net taxable income in excess of $500,000. The most important overall result from enacting this systemic health care reform legislation is that adequate initial and continuous funding will be available to halt the deterioration of our current health care system. Ample funds will be available to provide every citizen comprehensive health care coverage and also provide needed funds for additional health care facilities, staffing, program improvement and both pre-service and continuing education investments.

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Takes effect upon being signed into law

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