Agenda 09-03-19 Item 8-a - Minutes

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23 1 Commissioner Price read the following: 2 3 NOW THEREFORE be it resolved that the Board of Commissioners of Orange County, North 4 Carolina does hereby endorse HR 1384, which adheres to the requirements below: 5 a. A single program - not a patchwork of multi-payer state and federal systems. 6 b. Comprehensive coverage - all medically necessary services requiring a 7 medical professional will be covered. 8 c. Free at the point of service - no more shifting costs onto the sick: no premiums, 9 no copays, no deductibles, and no coinsurance. 10 d. Universal coverage - coverage for all U.S. residents. 11 e. Jobs - replacement and severance for those affected by the transition. 12 13 This the 4th day of June 2019. 14 15 A motion was made by Commissioner Price, seconded by Commissioner Bedford for the 16 Board to approve and authorize the Chair to sign the resolution. 17 18 Commissioner McKee said he has some concerns, and clarified that this is seeking to 19 abolish the entire current, private, health insurance industry in the United States. 20 Chair Rich said, as the industry exists in its current form. 21 Commissioner McKee said it does not say "current form" in the resolution. 22 Nina Arshaysky said the single-payer system suggests that the entire healthcare 23 industry (hospitals, doctors, etc.) stays intact, and what changes is how the money is paid to 24 private providers. She said it will be paid similarly to how it is currently paid by Medicare; 25 essentially extending Medicare insurance to everybody in the country, as opposed to going 26 through private health insurance, which cares more about profits than patients. 27 Commissioner Greene suggested a wording change to "revamping health care delivery 28 will require an unprecedented level of mobilization, etc." 29 Commissioner McKee said he questions the whole concept, because the Veteran's 30 health care program is similar to this, and it is riddled with inefficiencies, delays, and lack of 31 service. He said this is good rhetoric, but it is short on details. He said this will do away with 32 the insurance companies, which will effect stockholders, and, in turn, affect the portfolios of 33 millions of United States residents and their retirement plans. He asked if there is a plan in 34 place to address this. 35 Nina Arshaysky said all medical insurance companies have insurance business in other 36 areas. She said the local group invited Mendel Porter, a former Cigna executive, to speak, and 37 he said the industry will not be destroyed because it has other business interests. He said 38 some of those who work in the private industry will have job opportunities to work in the 39 extended system, but some jobs will be redundant. She said doctors are burning out due to the 40 administrative strains, and many hours are spent dealing with billing issues, and this change 41 would allow the entire system to work more efficiently. 42 Commissioner McKee asked if another business line in Blue Cross/Blue Shield could be 43 identified, and the specifics of other employment opportunities could be explained. 44 Commissioner Dorosin said this resolution is to expand universal health care for all 45 Americans, and the details that Commissioner McKee is concerned about would not exist in a 46 resolution. He said he will support the resolution as he wants to show support for universal 47 healthcare. 48 Commissioner Greene agreed with Commissioner Dorosin that this is an overall 49 endorsement of universal healthcare, but the phrase that sticks out to her is: 19% of people 50 age 50-64 say they are staying in current jobs rather than change or retire because of health