Universal Health Insurance To Top Service Employees International Union Policy Agenda In 2008

Main Category: Health Insurance / Medical Insurance
Article Date: 23 Jan 2008 - 7:00 PDT

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Service Employees International Union officials on Friday said that the issue of universal health insurance will top the policy agenda for the group in 2008, CongressDaily reports. According to SEIU Treasurer-Secretary Anna Burger, the union this year plans to spend at least $75 million, in large part to pay about 2,000 members to take leave from their jobs to advocate for the agenda. Burger added that SEIU will leave the infrastructure in place after the 2008 election to lobby lawmakers to address the issue of universal health insurance "within the first 100 days" of the new administration.

This year, SEIU will lobby lawmakers for an increase in the percentage of matching funds states receive for Medicaid as part of an economic stimulus package and work with Senate Finance Committee ranking member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee Chair Pete Stark (D-Calif.) on two bills that would regulate nursing homes (Johnson, CongressDaily, 1/18).

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