UAW Endorses Bay Health Plan to Provide Affordable Health Care for Working
Plan is a Proposed .67 Mill Levy for the November General Election Ballot
August 15, 2008
By: Dave Rogers
UAW Region 1D endorses the Bay Health Plan Novemebr vote
The UAW Region 1D today endorsed the Bay Health Plan to help working families who have no employer-provided health plan and who are not eligible for state and federal programs.
The plan is proposed to be on the November general election ballot as a .67 mill increase in property taxes.
"The UAW stands behind this grassroots effort to expand access to affordable health care for the working families of Bay County," said Dave Ventrone, chairman of the Bay County UAW CAP Council.
"We encourage all UAW members, retirees and their families to support this ballot initiative by voting
"Yes to Health" on Nov. 4. The Bay Health Plan will help struggling families get the basic health care they need, at a time of great uncertainty with our economy."
The proposal provides basic, affordable health care for working families who are legal residents of Bay County. It will:
Expand access to quality, affordable health care to thousands of Bay County residents
Cover doctor's visits, cancer screenings, X-Rays, lab tests
Include a prescription program, disease prevention and expanded vaccination programs for children and seniors
Help lower prescription drug costs for seniors by providing discount prescription medications
Provide early treatment and testing for diabetes, respiratory diseases and other serious illnesses.
"We are extremely pleased to have the backing of the UAW on this critical issue for Bay County citizens," said Linda Hamacher, executive director of Bay Health Plan.
"More and more hard-working families are losing their health care coverage every day. Bay Health Plan will give them access to basic, preventive health care and peace of mind."
Under the proposal, a .67 millage assessment will fund the health care plan. The assessment works out to $33.50 per $100,000 of a home's market value.
The Bay Health Plan proposal is also supported by the Bishop Robert J. Carlson, Diocese of Saginaw, Bay Health Plan Corp., Bay Regional Medical Center and the Helen M. Nickless Volunteer Clinic.
UAW Region 1D covers 62 counties in western, central and northern Michigan, including the Upper Peninsula. The region includes the cities of Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Traverse City, Saginaw, Muskegon, Benton Harbor, St. Joseph, Escanaba and Marquette.###