SEIU Healthcare Florida applauds Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz’s Healthy Americans Act that would ensure health care coverage for all Americans.
As the largest healthcare union in Florida, our caregivers are on the frontlines of the healthcare crisis – both as healthcare providers and consumers – and consequently have a unique perspective on how to fix the system.
We emphatically support Congresswoman Wasserman-Schultz’s goal of guaranteeing coverage for every American, requiring employer financing and responsibility, ensuring choices of coverage for the individual consumer, providing a mechanism for quality and cost containment, and allowing workers to carry their coverage with them when they change jobs as well as when they are unemployed.
Sadly, today thousands of healthcare workers and their families are victims of the health care crisis as they are uninsured and underinsured. Shawn Hadley, the 31 year old son of a nurse at a local hospital, recently lost his job. While playing basketball he fell and dislocated his elbow. He went to the Emergency Room and was advised to follow up with an orthopedic doctor for further examination and physical therapy, but because he is uninsured, he has not been able to see the specialist. He has no idea how his arm is healing or if it was set right. His mother works on an orthopedic floor and has resorted to questioning doctors in passing regarding his condition and healing process.
“The healthcare system in the United States is in crisis. We can and must do better. That’s why we are grateful to Congresswoman Wasserman-Schultz for her leadership in bringing the diverse stakeholders to the table to begin to develop a blueprint that moves us towards a healthcare system that prioritizes quality care for all,” said Monica Russo of SEIU Healthcare Florida. “Shawn’s mother, an SEIU member nurse - Pat Sheran-Diaz - is now in the forefront of our grassroots effort to mobilize thousands of Florida’s healthcare workers to vote for candidates who support Healthcare For All.”