Organization’s Objective
"Our current health care system is not affordable for American families, businesses or government. We need an American solution to secure our families? health and a healthy economy. All of us, individuals, employers and government have a shared responsibility to realize comprehensive reforms in our health care system.
USAction believes that the only way to achieve quality, affordable health care for all is to ensure that government is a robust part of the solution, with a public-private partnership. The private market will never work to cover everyone ? we need a health care system with both a robust government component (such as Medicare, Medicaid, SCHIP) and private plans, working together.
The only way to achieve this new system is to create an organizing effort that encourages people to embrace this role for government in the health care. Our opponents will cry ?socialized medicine.? To counter this, we must build a health care movement that cries out for ?fairness and equality.?
Our health care principles are these:
1. A standard for health benefits that covers what people need to keep healthy and to be treated when they are ill. Everyone should get the kind of coverage that people get in a good employee health plan or that members of Congress get. Health care benefits should cover all the care needed by people including preventative services and treatment needed by those with serious and chronic diseases.
2. Effective cost controls that promote quality and long term financial sustainability, including: standard claims forms, secure electronic medical records, using the public?s purchasing power to instill greater reliance on evidence based protocols and lower drug and device prices, better management and treatment of chronic diseases and a public role in deciding where money is invested in health care.
3. Equity in health care access, treatment, research and resources to people and communities of color, resulting in real improvement in health and life expectancy. "
