Hamden, like many communities in Connecticut and around the country, is in the midst of several crises. The first and most obvious is the COVID-19 pandemic, which threatens the health, life, and economic security of every single person in town. Less acute — but still significant — are the ongoing crises of a health insurance system that leaves too many residents burdened by exorbitant costs and poor coverage, and a town budget buckling under the weight of employee health insurance costs and post-employment benefits. Medicare for All would address (and in some cases outright solve) each of these critical issues.

A federally managed and paid-for single-payer system would cover every resident of Hamden with no co-pays, deductibles, or premiums — regardless of their employment status or pre-existing conditions. With a historical public health crisis on our hands and the possibility of an economic depression on the horizon, the urgent need for such a system is clear.

A single-payer system would also cover every employee of the city, saving millions and freeing up money for education, public works, and tax cuts.

We call on the Hamden Legislative Council and Mayor Lauren Garrett to pass the following resolution urging Rep. Rosa DeLauro and Sens. Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal to support, co-sponsor, and fight for Medicare for All in Congress.

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Resolution in Support of Medicare for All

WHEREAS, the number of Americans without health insurance is still nearly 30 million, while more than 40 million Americans remain underinsured; and

WHEREAS, every person in Hamden deserves high quality health care; and

WHEREAS, employee health insurance costs represent a significant portion of Hamden’s municipal budget, and a growing burden to taxpayers; and

WHEREAS Medicare for All would provide federally funded health insurance for every person in the United States for 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 Medicare for All would provide coverage without copays, deductibles or other out-of-pocket costs to Hamden residents and municipal employees, without premium costs for the town government or other local employers; and

WHEREAS Medicare for All would provide the same benefits to retired Hamden employees, with savings in other post employment benefits (OPEB) for the municipal budget; and

WHEREAS, recent Kaiser Family Foundation polling shows that an overwhelming majority of Americans support a greater role for the federal government in providing health insurance and 56% of Americans support a national Medicare for All plan; and

WHEREAS, the quality of life for the residents of Hamden would vastly improve because they would be able to obtain necessary ongoing and preventive care, instead of being forced to make a choice between debt or death; and

WHEREAS, savings to the municipal budget would free up funds (as much as 19.6% of the proposed 2021 budget) for much-needed tax relief for Hamden residents and businesses; and

WHEREAS, the COVID-19 crisis in our community and across the country has demonstrated the need for a universal healthcare system in the United States;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Hamden Legislative Council enthusiastically supports Medicare for All (as recently modeled by the Jaypal and Sanders-sponsored H.R. 1384 and S. 1129) and any other single-payer legislation, and calls on our federal legislators to work toward its immediate enactment, assuring appropriate and efficient health care for all residents of the United States.