NYS Senator Bill Perkins and Assembly Health Chair Richard N. Gottfried introduce a bill today calling for a single payer system called New York Health.
If this goes through, New York will follow Vermont in tackling the real problems of providing health care to it's citizens.
"President Obama said, 'No American should ever spend their golden years at the mercy of insurance companies.' But it shouldn't be just our golden years," said Assembly Member Gottfried.
"I have always advocated that your health is your wealth. Affordable health care demands broad bipartisan support. I'm proud to sponsor this important bill and look forward to working with my colleagues and the governor to see it become law," Senator Perkins added.
The bill calls for funding this through a graduated tax on payroll and non-payroll income, based on ability to pay. So far, 85 members support it, as do some unions, nurse and physician associations.
New York State was ahead of the curve when it came to reproductive health, making abortion legal before Roe v. Wade. Let's hope they lead the way on single payer as well.