Adopted on October 30, 1993, at the CSJO Executive Board meeting in Detroit, Michigan USA

The United States and South Africa are the only industrialized countries in the world without a national health care plan for their people. US health care is very poor by such measures as higher infant mortality and lower life expectance. There are in this country about 36 million people who have no medical care insurance, and another 50 million people who are under-insured.

The cost of health care and prescription drugs in the Untied States is the most expensive in the world. It is also raising rapidly and must be addressed immediately. The threat of curtailing Medicare and Medicaid assistance is a serious concern for all of us. Private health care costs are raising so rapidly that the average person can no longer afford to pay these costly premiums. The growing rate of catastrophic illness can bankrupt families. All this emphasizes dramatically the need for a national health care plan for everyone in the United States.

The Congress of Secular Jewish Organizations urges the Congress of the United States to put aside partisan politics in order to provide national health care that serves people and not the health insurance companies. We urge the adoption of such a plan which provides:

• Universal coverage for all
• A single-payer policy
• Comprehensive benefits
• Free choice of providers
• Public accountability

We can no longer sit back complacently without taking action to remedy what is rapidly reaching catastrophic proportions. We urge affiliates of the Congress of Secular Jewish Organizations to add their voices and their energies to those working for a national health care program that serves all the people.