1936RESOLUTION NO. ~ ~ 3
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF WEST MEMPHIS, ARKANSAS TO
SUPPORT PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA EFFORTS FOR HEALTH CARE
REFORM THAT WOULD PROVIDE HEALTH CARE FOR MILLIONS OF
UNINSURED AMERICANS AS WELL AS HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF
ARKANSANS.
WHEREAS, any official position of the City of West Memphis with respect to
legislation, rules, regulations or policies proposed to or pending before local, state, or federal
governmental body or agency must have first been adopted in the form of a Resolution by the
Clty COUnClI.
WHEREAS, there is a growing health care crisis because of escalating costs, and
diminished access to affordable, quality health care through employer-sponsored coverage or the
individual insurance market; and
WHEREAS, half of all personal bankruptcies are filed as a direct result of medical bills
and 70 percent of medical bankruptcies are filed by individuals covered by health insurance
when the illness occurs; and
WHEREAS, individuals and families face higher out-of-pocket costs for doctor visits,
hospital care, prescription drugs, and other medical services; and
WHEREAS, rationing is already too high with HMOs (health maintenance
organizations) who deny coverage to people with insurance and dictate which doctors people can
see according to their network, and
WHEREAS, according to statehealthfacts.org, there are 485,849 people in Arkansas who
are uninsured-which is 17.5% of the population and 8.4% of Arkansan children are uninsured,
and
WHEREAS, all Arkansans should have access to affordable, high quality health care
when they need it;
WHEREAS, this council doesn't support any section of any Congress or Senate bill that
supports funding for abortion, any denial of patients rights to chose their own physicians or
illegal immigrants receiving federal benefits;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF WEST MEMPHIS, ARKANSAS, THAT by the adoption of this Resolution, the
City of West Memphis hereby declares its intent to SUPPORT for language in implementing
legislation, related to comprehensive health care reform in the United States Congress so that all
Arkansans can obtain affordable, quality health care coverage, including at a minimum:
1) Meaningful cost containment for individuals to stem the unrelenting increase in costs
that has made coverage increasingly unaffordable; and
2) Provisions to stop insurance companies from denying coverage due to pre-existing
conditions with reasonable circumstance
3) Access by all Arkansans to affordable, quality coverage through their employers,
existing public programs, or for those not eligible for group coverage, in the
individual insurance market.
ADOPTED this ~ ~ day of ~ ~ ~ y ~~ .2010
WILLIAM JOHNSON, MAYOR
ATTEST:
PHILLIP PARR, CITY CLERK
SPONSORED BY:
RECEIVED
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