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Opinion: Urge Sen. Ritchie to vote yes on NY Health Act, says Gouverneur resident

Posted 6/1/17

To the Editor: I am urging Sen. Patty Ritchie of District 48 to vote yes to NY Health Act S4840. This health bill passed the assembly with a vote of 92 to 52 and is now in the Senate. This bill has a …

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Opinion: Urge Sen. Ritchie to vote yes on NY Health Act, says Gouverneur resident

Posted

To the Editor:

I am urging Sen. Patty Ritchie of District 48 to vote yes to NY Health Act S4840. This health bill passed the assembly with a vote of 92 to 52 and is now in the Senate.

This bill has a long history from when it was introduced in 1992 until now. It is time that New York State lead the way in universal health care.

In a time where environmental protections are being peeled away one by one and access to affordable health care is getting more restrictive, it is imperative now more than ever that we protect our citizens in New York State with care that they deserve.

Health care is a right for all citizens. It should not depend on if you have a job or if you can afford the premiums or copays. The health care system is in shambles and it has been for a very long time. The ACA attempted to fix the problems and it did succeed in a few areas. But there is a lot more that can be improved. Washington is now on the verge of making healthcare more of a disaster with their proposed bill. This will be a matter of life and death right here in our own district.

This is a perfect time for New York State to implement a universal health care system for our own people and lead the way for the rest of the nation in our example.

NY Health Act S4840 is income based making premiums truly affordable. Coverage will include vision, dental, mental health, prescriptions, and reproductive health. Every doctor will be in the network and there will be no copays and deductibles.

Many policies and bills have been passed that have not worked. Let’s take what has worked and use that knowledge in making NY Health Act S4840 a successful fair bill for all of NYS citizens. For more information on this bill, please visit: https://www.healthcare-now.org.

Michele O’Donnell

Gouverneur