Episcopal Public Policy Network Pushes Socialized Medicine

on August 6, 2009

Concerns about tax increases and a government takeover of the U.S. healthcare system have generated intense heat for members of Congress as they return home for their August district work period. That hasn’t stopped the Episcopal Church’s Washington, D.C. lobbying office from joining with others in the Religious Left in pressing for a far-reaching plan that would radically increase the government’s role in the health sector.

The legislative push by the Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations comes on the heels of a resolution from the Church’s General Convention that passed by a razor-thin margin and called for the enactment of a controversial “single-payer” healthcare system.

Under a “single-payer” system, payment of health care providers would come from a single authority, such as a government agency.

Through the Episcopal Public Policy Network (EPPN), the church’s advocacy arm, the lobbying office specifically called for support of H.R. 3200, America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009. Introduced by Congressman John Dingell (D-MI) in July, the bill describes itself as ”to provide affordable, quality health care for all Americans and reduce the growth in health care spending.”

The Dingell plan that EPPN supports was approved by a House committee before recess, and is also supported by President Barack Obama. H.R. 3200 does not directly call for a single-payer system; instead it creates a government plan funded by a business tax. Critics argue that a government paid plan will compete with insurance companies and that the government will ultimately regulate private plans out of business. Only a single-payer system would remain, dominated by government control.

That result would be in line with the aims of Episcopal resolution D048, passed after significant debate on a vote of 50.4 percent to 49.6 percent: a difference of only six votes out of hundreds cast. Debate alternated between deputies making emotional appeals on behalf of Americans without healthcare coverage, and deputies that questioned the role of the church in advocating specific policy proposals, rather than merely stating end goals.

The explanation section of the resolution states: “A single-payer system would be financed by eliminating private insurers and recapturing their administrative waste.” It goes on to say that the plan would be funded by “modest new taxes” and that costs would be controlled through “global budgeting.”

The resolution itself reads “that the General Convention direct the Office of Government Relations to assess, negotiate, and deliberate the range of proposed federal health care policy options in the effort to reach the goal of universal health care coverage, and to pursue short-term, incremental, innovative, and creative approaches to universal health care until a “single payer” universal health care program is established.”

Resolution in-hand, the church government relations office quickly moved to trumpet H.R. 3200, distributing a policy alert through the EPPN and urging that the House of Representatives adopt the legislation before Congress’ August recess. While the legislation cleared the Energy and Commerce Committee on a 31-28 vote, it will only be released to the House floor after members return following their August recess.

“H.R. 3200 would establish a mandate for everyone to have health insurance, expand eligibility for Medicaid, and establish new health insurance exchanges through which some people could purchase subsidized coverage,” the EPPN appeal says.

The House of Representatives will be back in session following Labor Day.

 

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