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Health care for all: Through the states
Did you know that we have a law on the books that would start the process of creating a universal health care system for Maine?
One of the compromises made in passing the bill in the Maine Legislature, in 2021, is that the law won’t go into effect without a clear path for the use of federal funds in state-based systems.
The State-Based Universal Health Care Act, affectionately known as SBUHCA (it’s kind of fun to say: Sa-Boo-Ka!), would create a straightforward process for getting the needed federal waivers, empowering states to create their own universal health care systems.
Maine is one of several states poised to enact a state-level system, if and when barriers to getting federal waivers are removed.
As with other social changes, such as women’s suffrage and marriage equality, establishing universal health care at the state level could be a viable path to national health care for all.
Learn more about the Maine law (which you helped pass!), SBUHCA, and universal health care through the states on our website.
Our allies in a coalition led by One Payer States and Social Security Works are campaigning hard to build support for SBUHCA in Congress and increase the number of co-sponsors — now at 28, the highest number yet! OPS president Chuck Pennachio (pictured at right) has been in Washington, DC, in recent weeks, meeting with our representatives and making our case.
Sign the petition and ask your representatives to support SBUHCA HERE
Let your voice be heard
Maine AllCare is creating a team of volunteers to write letters to the editor around the state. We’re looking for people who would like to share their experiences and views to help raise awareness of health care problems and solutions, and motivate action.
We expect that each member of the team would write one or two letters per year. Guidance and resources will be provided — you bring your voice and your support for universal health care!
If you are interested or want to know more, please email Mike Bacon, MAC board member and organizer of the LTE team, at info@maineallcare.org.
Remembering Lynn Cheney
The world lost a bright light last month, and we at Maine AllCare lost a treasured colleague and friend. Lynn Cheney died on February 11 after being diagnosed last fall with ALS.
Lynn joined the Maine AllCare board in 2018 and served as our treasurer and on the Legislative and Policy, Communications, and Executive committees. She co-founded and led the Down East chapter, and was instrumental in many initiatives including economic studies, our 2019 canvassing survey, tabling at elections and events, and just this past summer, helping to pass a referendum in Penobscot. We could always count on her intelligence, clarity of thought and expression, humor, camaraderie, and dedication.
Sometimes in the life of an organization there comes along a person with a special energy and commitment. That was Lynn. We are thankful for all she gave us and for her unwavering belief in the quest to create a health care system that serves all of us. We will miss her dearly.
Read more about Lynn’s life and contributions to her communities
Even a small amount makes a big difference
We appreciate and thank all of our donors — you fuel the work we do.
A special shout-out this month to those who make a monthly donation, a regular heart beat of support that sustains our work and helps us plan.
Some give $5 a month, others $100, and everything in between.
Would you like to join this circle? It’s easy to do on our website, or feel free to email us at info@maineallcare.org, we’re happy to help.
Image: Waldemar, Unsplash
Last word
“It’s not a Lefty McLefty kind of argument. It’s actually just common sense. It’s actually the fiscally responsible thing to do.”
–Rep. Katie Porter on Medicare for All
Check out Rep. Porter’s conversation with Dr. and Lady Glaucomflecken on health care in the U.S., what’s wrong, and what we need to do.
Katie Porter Speaks On The US Health Care System | Knock Knock Hi!
Have you gotten your Maine AllCare bumper sticker?
Contact us and we’ll mail you one (or more)!
Turn your bottles and cans into universal health care
Clynk is a simple way to support Maine AllCare’s work—just fill up a Clynk bag with your returnable bottles and cans, put on a MAC sticker, and drop them off at a nearby Hannaford store.
Clynk bags are available at participating Hannaford stores for a small fee. To get MAC stickers, contact us and we’ll put them in the mail to you.
Thank you to all who are participating! So far you have dropped off more than 40,000 containers to Clynk. That’s enough to fill 409 lobster traps!
Our Mission
Maine AllCare promotes the establishment of
publicly funded health care coverage for all
Maine residents. This system must be efficient,
financially sound, politically sustainable, and must provide
benefits fairly distributed to all.
We advocate that health care, a basic necessity,
be treated as a public good, since it is fundamental to our
well-being as individuals and as a democratic nation.
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