By Frances Marion Platt, Aug 12, 2019 — Hudson Valley One

At a joint meeting on August 1, the New Paltz Town and Village Boards unanimously approved a resolution urging passage of the New York Health Act (NYHA), A.4738/S.4840. First introduced in 1992 by Manhattan assemblyman Richard Gottfried, the bill establishing a single-payer health care system in New York State has passed in the Assembly for the past four terms, but invariably stalled in the State Senate, where its primary sponsor is senator Gustavo Rivera of the Bronx.

Under NYHA, doctors and hospitals would be paid for their work by a single tax-supported fund, similar to Medicare, rather than through hundreds of insurance companies as under the current multi-payer system. Instead of the multitude of plans currently available, each with different networks of providers and different services covered, every resident, regardless of age, employment status or preexisting conditions, is automatically enrolled in the same comprehensive plan. NYHA fully covers all medically necessary services: comprehensive outpatient and inpatient medical care, primary and preventive care, prescription drugs, laboratory tests, mental health, reproductive health, rehabilitation, dental, vision, hearing, medical supply costs and even long-term care....

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