RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF
GUARANTEED HEALTHCARE FOR ALL
(Adopted August, 2021)
WHEREAS every resident in Sebastopol deserves high-quality healthcare, and WHEREAS the ever-increasing costs of care, which are further elevated due to the pandemic, challenge already strapped municipal budgets, and
WHEREAS the pandemic has led to the loss of employer-sponsored health insurance—showing the shortcoming of tying health insurance to employment, and WHEREAS the vast majority of households and small businesses in Sebastopol would save money under a single-payer healthcare system and physicians would be able to focus on efficiently providing the best care possible for all residents, and WHEREAS the city of Sebastopol spends approximately $1.1 million annually on health insurance for current employees and retirees—much of which could be redirected to other municipal priorities if those insurance costs were covered under a federal or state single-payer system, and
WHEREAS single-payer initiatives such as the federal Medicare for All Act of 2021 (HR 1976) and the state’s CalCare bill (AB 1400) would provide health insurance that covers all necessary medical care including prescription drugs; hospital, surgical and outpatient services; primary and preventive care; emergency services; reproductive care; dental and vision care; and long-term care; and
WHEREAS both the federal Medicare for All Act of 2021 and the state CalCare bill will guarantee that all residents of Sebastopol will be fully covered for healthcare without co-pays, deductibles, or other out-of-pocket costs, and would save millions in taxpayer dollars now spent on premiums that provide often inadequate health insurance coverage for government employees, then
NOW LET IT BE RESOLVED, that the city of Sebastopol urges the U.S. Congress and the California state legislature to pass legislation to create a single-payer system that will provide all residents with universal, comprehensive, and equitable health coverage.