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Resolution

NAACP Supports Full Implementation of the Health Care Reform Law

Adopted

WHEREAS, the NAACP strongly supports the new federal law reforming our Nation's health care system and hopes that states will do everything possible to ensure that the new law is implemented to the fullest extent and as expeditiously as possible; and 

WHEREAS, prior to enactment of this law, 47 million Americans had no health insurance; and 

WHEREAS, more than 880,000 African-Americans nationwide died in the past decade due to the disparities in our health care system; having access to quality, affordable health care is not something that should be reserved for the wealthy, or the few; and 

WHEREAS, not having health insurance has been proven to be difficult for a person's well being, and consequently for the financial health of our Nation; and 

WHEREAS, on March 23, 2010, H.R. 3590, the NAACP-supported, Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was signed into law by President Barack Obama; then on March 30, 2010, H.R. 4872, the NAACP-supported Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 was signed into law, together these two bills represent a much-needed, major overhaul of our Nation's broken health care system; and 

WHEREAS, the new law will extend health insurance coverage to about 32 million American men, women and children who do not currently have health insurance coverage; and 

WHEREAS, the new law provides lower costs and financial relief for American families; and 

WHEREAS, the new law also provides Americans with greater choices in health care coverage and eliminates insurance company discrimination; and 

WHEREAS, the new law also takes an aggressive approach to ending health care disparities that continue to plague racial and ethnic minority Americans; and 

WHEREAS, the new law also puts a premium on Preventive Care for Better Health; and 

WHEREAS, like the 1965 law establishing Medicare and Medicaid, the success of the 2010 Health care reform legislation depends now largely on how well it is implemented; and 

WHEREAS, in 1965, the new law was threatened by doctors, who were concerned that their ability to prescribe their treatments and collect their fees might be threatened, and by hospitals, primarily in the south, which did not want to integrate (a requirement under the new law for participating in the Medicare / Medicaid program); and 

WHEREAS, eventually the majority of the doctors agreed to participate in the program and the hospitals capitulated and integrated rather than lose millions of dollars in federal funds; and 

WHEREAS, today, Medicare and Medicaid are seen as two of the more successful federal programs, ensuring health care to millions of Americans nation-wide; and 

WHEREAS, under the new law, states are required within four years to establish state insurance exchanges through which residents may obtain better tailored and more cost effective health insurance; and 

WHEREAS, since enactment of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, 14 state Attorney Generals have already sued to stop the reform from being implemented. 

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the NAACP strongly supports the full implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; and 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NAACP commend the Obama Administration and those Members of the United States House and Senate for supporting and enacting this historic measure; and 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that historically black medical schools be assured of appropriate funding consistent with future physician training needs; and 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NAACP deplore the tactics being taken by the Attorney Generals of Florida, South Carolina, Nebraska, Texas, Michigan, Utah, Pennsylvania, Alabama, South Dakota, Louisiana, Idaho, Washington, Virginia Colorado and Indiana to block the implementation of this crucially needed and democratically adopted new health care reform law to be deplorable and will only result in the unnecessary suffering and the preventable death of more Americans that lack access to healthcare; and 

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the NAACP encourages these states to take immediate action with advocacy office visits, press conferences, public forums and other promotional initiatives with assistance from the Washington Bureau and National Office to speak out against these reckless undemocratic legal maneuvers. 

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