HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolutions - 2008.10.23 - 9633Miscellaneous Resolution # 08022
BY: Commissioner David Woodward, District #18
RE: Board of Commissioners — Support for Michigan Health Care Security
Constitutional Amendment
TO: Oakland County Board of Commissioners
Chairperson, Ladies and Gentlemen:
WHEREAS the United States spends more on health care than any other country and according
to the recent study, "Measuring the Health Care of Nations: Updating an Earlier Analysis" issued
in January 2008 by the non-profit Commonwealth Fund, the United States ranked dead last in
providing timely and effective health care to its citizens when compared to the top 19
industrialized countries in the world; and
WHEREAS the cost of health care has risen at a rate greater than wage inflation for a decade
and continues to do so; and
WHEREAS the business community, especially small business, is having a very difficult time
providing health care to their employees and compete in a global economy with competitors
who do not have to provide health care because their home country does;
WHEREAS access to quality health care in America ought to be a right and not a privilege; and
WHEREAS the Michigan economy is losing jobs, in part, caused by the high cost of health care;
and
WHEREAS in order to modernize and retool the Michigan economy the health care system
must be reformed and strengthened; and
WHEREAS over 1 million people in Michigan are without health insurance, including many
residing in Oakland County; and
WHEREAS people are increasingly experiencing severe decreases in coverage or losing
coverage all together because of the rapid increase in the cost of health insurance; and
WHEREAS Oakland County can not afford to continue to provide the current level of health care
to its 4,000 employees, if costs continue to rise at the rate they have over the last many years,
and
WHEREAS Oakland County's Emerging Sectors Initiative will increasingly be at a competitive
disadvantage in attracting new businesses from across the globe to expand and relocate here, if
affordability of health care is not addressed, and
WHEREAS the Governor's Council on Economic Advisers has found that between $57 and $63
billion is spent every year in Michigan for health care, which translates into about $6,000 per
person — or $7.2 billion for all Oakland County residents — indicating aggregately there is
enough money spent on health care to insure health care to all, and
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WHEREAS the process to secure health care reform must begin and an effort is being
undertaken by the Michigan Health Care Security Ballot Campaign to amend the State
Constitution at Article 4, Section 51 by inserting the following language:
"The State Legislature shall pass laws to make sure that every Michigan resident has affordable
and comprehensive health care coverage through a fair and cost-effective financing system.
The Legislature is required to pass a plan that, through public or private measures, controls
health care costs and provides for medically necessary preventive, primary, acute and chronic
health care needs':
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Oakland County Board of Commissioners
hereby supports the above mentioned proposed amendment to Article 4; Section 51 of the State
Constitution, and urges the public to get involved and also support this important initiative.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to the all Oakland County
media outlets, the Governor of Michigan, the Oakland County state legislative delegation, all
cities, townships, and villages in Oakland County, and the Michigan Association of Counties,
Resolution #08022 January 1 7, 2008
Tne Chairperson referred the resolution to the General Government Committee. There were no
objections.