Single-payer advocates push cause in states; challenges likely

At least 18 states have introduced universal health care bills, most based on a single-payer model.

By Amy Snow Landa, AMNews correspondent. Oct. 24/31, 2005.

From Vermont to California, proponents of single-payer health care have been busy introducing legislation, circulating ballot petitions and broadening their coalitions -- all with the hope that at least one state will enact legislation that can be used as a model for national health care reform.

But opponents of single-payer health care, including state medical societies, say they are not worried that all of the activity means that government-run health care will be enacted any time soon.

"We're not ringing the alarm bell yet," said Tim Maglione, senior director of legislative affairs at the Ohio State Medical Assn.

Although Ohio has one of the most active single-payer movements in the country, there is little chance that a single-payer bill will pass the state's Republican-controlled Legislature or be signed into law by Republican Gov. Bob Taft.

"We feel pretty confident the Legislature doesn't have any interest in pursuing this," Maglione said.

Single-payer advocates, having drawn the same conclusion, have turned their efforts to a petition drive, said Johnathon Ross, MD, a Toledo internist and a leader of the Single-Payer Action Network of Ohio.

The group is attempting to collect about 100,000 signatures on its petition, which directs the Legislature to vote on the Health Care for All Ohioans Act. So far, they have collected "tens of thousands" of signatures, Dr. Ross said.

If the Legislature then refuses to take action on the bill, supporters will collect a second round of signatures to put single-payer legislation directly on the ballot.