Remember when an ambitious Democratic candidate for president campaigned in part on reforming the health care system in America? Once elected, the man from Hope then put his brainy wife in charge of the program. But bludgeoned by an onslaught of what some called disinformation (Harry and Louise, anyone?) and castigated as "socialized medicine," Bill Clinton's health care plan ignominiously bit the dust, never even making it out of a Senate committee in 1994.
Shortly thereafter, Newt Gingrich led the Republican takeover of the House and the issue was never resuscitated.
Whatever happened to that problem? It didn't go away. In fact, it has gotten worse.
Depending on what study you read, there are between 39-million to 45-million Americans without health insurance. A new study says 41-million Americans who DO have insurance don't have access to certain types of care.
Premiums for the insured continue to rise, and prescription drugs — the one health-care issue that WAS debated during the 2000 presidential campaign — has yet to be tackled by President Bush or Congress.
Enter organized labor. Specifically, the politically powerful Service Employees International Union. The SEIU has opted to make health care for all a political issue this year, with momentum to make it perhaps the core domestic issue in the 2004 national elections.
That's why an estimated 300 SEIU workers, in town for their union's southern regional conference, and another 100 or so supporters of gubernatorial candidates Janet Reno and Bill McBride held a demonstration for health care April 20 at Straub Park in St. Petersburg.
The event was also anticipated as a chance to see the two Democratic contenders try to woo the rank and file of the Florida SEIU, one of the few unions yet to weigh in on the race.
Although still trailing in the most recent polls, McBride has kept hope alive in his campaign by continuing to out-fundraise Reno, and also to build up significant credibility by receiving key endorsements from some of the state's biggest unions.
But curiously, the candidate didn't show up at the SEIU rally. Perhaps a bit of hubris, considering his recent labor success?
Not at all, insisted McBride spokesman Eric Riley, who spun the Family Values card in explaining why the still long-shot candidate would ditch one of the state's biggest unions. "He's coaching a baseball game," said Riley. "The assistant coach didn't show up."
Riley said four months ago it appeared a foregone conclusion that the Florida SEIU loved Reno, and would formally endorse her. But they haven't yet.
But hearing Riley boast to reporters about McBride's health care program at his former law firm, Holland & Knight, probably didn't carry the same weight with the union as the candidate himself expressing those thoughts to the 400-plus in attendance.
For her part, Reno gave a brief but energetic speech. Afterward, when asked what she could do to improve health care in the state if elected, Reno criticized Gov. Jeb Bush: "He returned $31-million in CHIP (Children's Health Insurance Program) money that could have been used for kid's health insurance. I want to use every CHIP dollar that's available to provide health care coverage, I want to do everything that we can to design Medicaid that will provide health care coverage for children."
But she also acknowledged that any real improvement needs to come from Washington.
In the past seven years since the Clinton plan withered, there has been very little movement to address these growing inequities. But that may be changing now.
Weekly Planet has learned that, in the upcoming weeks, U.S. Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., will introduce a bill that will try to create national health insurance. The plan would be privately delivered but publicly financed, building on the Medicare system.
At the St. Petersburg rally, there was first-hand experience about the problems with American health care.
Ed Williams, a plant operator for the Pinellas County School Board, hails from the small Caribbean island of Dominique, where he says health care coverage is universal. "I wonder what is the reason we can't have proper health care in this country for every American?" said Williams. "Even dogs and cats can have proper health care. Why can't human beings get health care? They can take pythons to the vet, but what about human beings?"
The crisis isn't just affecting the uninsured. According to preliminary estimates from Mercer Human Resource Consulting, employers for the third straight year are likely to see double-digit increases in health care costs. The increases hit smaller businesses the hardest.
That means it's going to hit employees, too.
Pearl Gooden, a nurse's assistant at a Tampa rehabilitation center, told the crowd at Straub Park what happened to her group during the last negotiated contract. "In my facility, we had a contract," said Gooden. "According to our old policy, we had a $500 deductible. After we signed our contract, we now have an $800 deductible."
The most senior union leader to speak was SEIU Executive Vice President Tom Woodruff, who sounded out what could become a common theme from the union in the next couple years.
"We have a national disgrace in our country," said Woodruff. "We live in the richest country in the world, profits are up, CEOs' salaries are up, but there's no money for health care, and there's no money for prescription drugs. Family health care in this country now costs $7,000 a year at the end of this decade, it'll be up to $14,000!"
Quentin Young, national coordinator of Physicians for a National Health Program, a Chicago organization of more than 9,000 MDs who support single-payer national health insurance, says America's health care system is in a "crisis state."
But organized labor's involvement to get universal health care coverage for everyone might just be the catalyst to finally achieving something. "In the past, labor has only given lip service," said Young. "They've never fought that hard for it. But now it's their members that are feeling the firsthand effects."
Contact Mitch E. Perry, assistant news director at WMNF-88.5 FM, at [email protected].