Legislation: Health Care - a Fundamental Right

We ask only that all of us shall work together to make real a new ideal of democracy, the equal right of every person born on earth to needed medical care whenever and wherever he battles against disease and death. 1

The Problem

16 % of North Carolina's population, in excess of 1.2 million North Carolinians, are without health insurance for an entire calendar year (census data). Nearly as many lack coverage for part of a year and an additional million North Carolinians do not have adequate health insurance, including many of the state’s elderly. Almost one in three non-Elderly North Carolinians (2.27 million people) were without health care coverage for three months or longer during 2001-2. 5

Between 1991 and 2001 the number of uninsured North Carolinians has increased by more than 80% (from 700,000 in 1991). In the last few years our rate of increase in uninsurance is second only to that of Mississippi among the 50 states.

While a majority of uninsured North Carolinians are white and employed, ethnic minorities, the working poor, young adults and children are disproportionately uninsured. Although the working poor shoulder the largest tax burden (proportional to income), they make up a larger number of uninsured than do the unemployed. This is so even while 65 cents of every health care dollar spent in our nation is paid out of public funds.

The uninsured in North Carolina generate a cost to hospitals of $1.3 billion per year. Taxpayers share the burden of keeping the public hospitals we rely open, no matter the shortfall.

The Solution for North Carolina

To address this increasing need, Representative Verla Insko of Chapel Hill introduced H901, "Health Care for All", in the North Carolina General Assembly on March 20, 2007 with 37 co-sponsors. 2

If passed by both houses of the General Assembly, the voters of North Carolina would have the opportunity in November 2008 to decide by popular vote whether residents of our state should enjoy the right to health care with the state constitution being so amended. 3

If passed by the voters, the bill would require that, by July 2009, "the General Assembly shall provide by law a plan to ensure that every resident of North Carolina has access to appropriate health care on a regular basis." This plan shall be fully implemented by July 1, 2013.

The amendment does not require that the state become a health care provider or insurer, or that any individual physician or other health provider offer care to any individual resident upon demand, or that the state provide health care to illegal aliens.

The amendment does not prescribe any particular mechanism or mechanisms to meet the obligation of providing access to health care for all North Carolinians, only that the legislature develop a plan to assure access to needed medical care for all residents of our state.

North Carolinians support the right to health care

Of North Carolinians 83.1%, including 73% of Republicans, 81% of Democrats, and 86% of those not identifying with either party, either strongly agree or agree, that "the State Legislature should make a plan so that all NC Residents can get decent health care on a regular basis." 4

1 North Carolina Hospital and Medical Care Commission, Report to the Governor, 1945.

2 Other state Representatives co-sponsoring the bill include Representatives Coleman, Harrison, and J. Harrell.

3 Groups endorsing the legislation include the NC Pediatric Society, NC Public Health Association, NC Nurses Association, NC College of Emergency Physicians, NC Council of Churches, North Carolina State AFL-CIO, and NC American Association of Retired Persons (NC-AARP), among many others.

4 Poll by the School of Journalism and Mass Communications at UNC in 2000

5 Families USA report June 2004, "One in Three Non-Elderly Americans without Health Insurance.