Top leader of nation's largest union of health care workers highlights connection between economic and health care crises at Senate Finance Committee hearing

WASHINGTON, DC - Pointing to the combined impact of the health care and economic crises on the lives of working families nationwide, SEIU International President Andy Stern called on President-Elect Barack Obama and key leaders in Washington today to work together to address the nation's ailing health care system in the short-term.

Read his entire prepared testimony before the Senate Finance Committee.

"Working people in this country are living in fear. Fear of losing their jobs and their health care. Fear of being just one illness away from financial ruin," said Stern in his testimony today before the Senate Committee on Finance led by Senators Max Baucus (D-MT) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA). "If we're going to revive our economy--if we're going to restore a sense of economic security to ordinary American families--we have to fix health care."

Today's hearing entitled "Health Care Reform: An Economic Perspective" is the latest in a series of hearings on health care reform held by the Senate Committee on Finance. Stern's appearance before the Committee comes as urgency continues to build to address a health care crisis typified by skyrocketing costs, rising numbers of uninsured and underinsured individuals, and a general trend toward decreased quality of care and coverage:

ۢ Post-election polling by Lake Research Partners showed voters ranking health care among their top overall issues--and health care costs as their number one economic concern.
ۢ Meanwhile, a new analysis by the New America Foundation entitled "The Cost of Doing Nothing: Why the Cost of Failing to Fix Our Health System is Greater than the Cost of Reform" shows average rising health care premiums outpacing wage increases and a trend that will result in "Americans will continue to pay more for less-generous health coverage; and fewer employers will offer health insurance to their workers."

With two million members, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) is the largest labor union for health care workers in the country and has been a leading voice in the effort to win quality, affordable health care for all Americans. In the last two weeks alone, SEIU has partnered with other organizations in advertising and other outreach efforts to President-Elect Obama and Members of Congress calling for improvements to the nation's health care system--including Divided We Fail, Better Healthcare Together, Partnership for Quality Care, Partnership to Fight Chronic Diseases, and Health Care for America Now! Last Wednesday, SEIU applauded the release of Senator Baucus's "Call to Action" blueprint to address the health care crisis.

"SEIU's millions of working families are ready to find common ground to win health care. Already, we're participating in coalitions with diverse and sometimes unlikely partners--including employers we disagree with on a lot of other issues, but who all agree we need to fix health care now," said Stern. "It's up to all of us--workers, business, and government--to deliver the change that voters demand."

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