AFSCME International is a founding member of a coalition of labor, advocacy and other groups pushing for a resolution of the age-old and now-more-than-ever crisis of health care delivery in the United States.  That coalition is known as HEALTH CARE FOR AMERICA NOW (HCAN). 

 In Michigan, HCAN has begun a grass roots effort to keep health care reform on the front burner during the 2008 Election and to make sure the issue is addressed in the new administration next year.  Legislative Director Nick Ciaramitaro is sitting on the advisory committee for MI-HCAN and Michigan AFSCME Council 25 is doing its part to make sure the effort succeeds. 

 Public employees across the state have seen attacks on our health care benefits at the bargaining table and in the in legislative bodies.  Higher co-pays, higher deductibles and even premium sharing continue to be pushed by public employers as they look to save costs in America’s high priced health care system.  Many of our non-union brothers and sisters have no insurance benefits at all.  Yet the United States spends a greater portion of its gross domestic product on health care than any other industrialized nation while mortality and morbidity rates continue to fall and more and more people fall through the cracks.  Health care insurance continues to pay enormous salaries to executives and spend more and more on administration, advertising and profits drawing dollars away from actual health care.  The time for CHANGE is now and we must explore all options to make sure that health care is available, accessible and affordable for all Americans. 

 Please go to the Michigan AFSCME Council 25 website (www.miafscme.org) to sign up to join the MI-HCAN effort and for more information.