Washington Office offers more info
on PCUSA’s health care reform position
The Layman , September 17, 2009
Offering some clarification on the Presbyterian Church (USA)’s stance on a divisive national debate, the denomination’s Washington Office has posted to its Web site a two-page question-and-answer document on the issue of health care reform.
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The statement, entitled “Presbyterian Church (USA) Calls for Just Health Care Reform,” follows an August declaration by PCUSA Stated Clerk Gradye Parsons in support of a single-payer universal health care system, but offers no explanation as to why it’s being released more than 30 days later. It does acknowledge that Parsons’ statement was based on the 218th General Assembly’s endorsement of a single-payer universal system “as the program that best responds to the moral imperative of the Gospel.”
Claiming that PCUSA has been calling for health care reform and urging a national medical plan for 60 years, this week’s statement says reform should be guided by the values of universal accessibility, equity and responsible financing. It cites previous GA actions from as far back as 1976 in support of the guiding values. The document also offers a clear denial that it supports socialized medicine, however, some opponents of the current health care reform proposals might take exception to how PCUSA defines socialized medicine.
“The church supports health reform that is privately provided and publicly funded,” according to the statement. “Socialized medicine generally refers to health care systems that are run by government, in which medical facilities are owned by government and health care providers are employed by government. PCUSA General Assemblies have not commented on such a system, nor is the U.S. Congress considering such a proposal.”
The statement offers a “Medicare for all” approach as an example, then points to a rising number of uninsured, an increase in medically-caused bankruptcies and the efficiency of Medicare and Medicaid to answer the question “why does the church support single-payer?”
The document also quotes John Calvin in answering the question of “What is the role of government and why should it be involved?” and offers a reason to why the church should care.
“Presbyterians believe that God desires shalom – wholeness and healing – for every person, not just for those who can afford it … Jesus’ command to love our neighbor requires persons with plentiful resources both to comprehend the condition of those persons without basic health care and to share the means to health,” the statement said, quoting from GA minutes from 1999.
The release also explains what actions PCUSA is taking to support its position. Aside from watching the legislative process and evaluating proposals, the statement says the Washington Office is engaged with ecumenical and interfaith partnerships to lift up the voices of people of faith. The most public of such partnerships came through PCUSA’s support of 40 Days of Health Reform, which has included a call for people of faith to lobby for President Barack Obama’s health care reform proposals. The initiative featured an online conference call with leaders from various faiths – including Christianity, Judaism and Islam – as well as a speech by the president.
The Washington Office statement did not refer to a $25,000 outlay from the denomination’s mission budget, as approved by the 218th GA, to pay for 10 one-day seminars that lobby for a single-payer universal health care plan. According to the Presbyterian Health Education and Welfare Association, six “extremely successful” events have occurred, a seventh has been funded and funding is still available for more. For those who qualify, Presbyterians for Community Transformation will provide $2,000 to fund the event.
The clarifying release comes as the U.S. Senate’s Finance Committee has introduced a new health care reform bill that calls a co-op plan rather than a public option, and approximately a week after Obama made a plea in front of a joint session of Congress. Leaders in the push for health care reform are predicting passage of a bill by Thanksgiving.
Public opinion polls, depending on the specific question that is asked, show a consistently even split. For example, an August poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation showed by 53 percent of Americans want to move forward on health care reform and 42 percent say the country can’t afford it. A poll released Sept. 17 by Rasmussen Reports claims that 53 percent of those surveyed oppose the president’s plans for health care reform, while 44 percent support it.