SPONSOR:	Rep. J. Johnson & Rep. Kowalko
	Reps. Keeley, Mitchell, Plant, D.P. Williams; Sen. Henry

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

145th GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 2

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ENDORSING THE NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE ACT.

WHEREAS, every person in Delaware and in the United States deserves access to affordable, quality health care; and

WHEREAS, there is a growing crisis in health care in the United States of America, manifested in rising health care costs, increased premiums, out-of-pocket spending, decreased international business competitiveness, and massive layoffs; and

WHEREAS, approximately 100,000 Delawareans lacked health insurance in 2005, and 50,000 were underinsured; and

WHEREAS, those insured now often experience unacceptable medical debt and sometimes life-threatening delays in obtaining health care; and

WHEREAS, one-half of all personal bankruptcies in the United States are due to illnesses or medical bills; and

WHEREAS, the increasing expense of Medicaid and the rising cost of insuring State employees and teachers can best be met not by limiting benefits, but by expanding them under a national, publicly funded health insurance program; and

WHEREAS, the complex bureaucracy arising from our system of fragmented, for-profit, multi-payer system of health care financing consumes approximately thirty percent (30%) of United States' health care spending; and

WHEREAS, the State of Delaware has spent more than $9.3 million on prisoner's healthcare outsourcing in 1996, and estimates $28.7 million in 2007; and

WHEREAS, United States Representative John Conyers has introduced HR 676, the United States National Health Insurance Act which would provide a universal comprehensive, single-payer system of high quality national health insurance;

NOW THEREFORE:

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the 144th General Assembly of the State of Delaware, the Senate thereof concurring therein, that the Delaware General Assembly respectfully urges the United States Congress to enact the United States National Health Insurance Act sponsored by Representative Conyers.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is directed to transmit a copy of this Resolution to the President of the United States and the members of the Delaware Congressional Delegation.

SYNOPSIS

This Concurrent Resolution urges Congress and the President of the United States to enact the National Health Insurance Act. The Resolution to be provided to the Delaware Congressional delegation and the President of the United States.