Reps. Vagnozzi, Accavitti, Bieda, Brandenburg, Brown, Cheeks, Clack, Constan, Coulouris, Cushingberry, Dean, Donigan, Espinoza, Farrah, Gonzales, Hammel, Hammon, Hopgood, Robert Jones, Kathleen Law, Lemmons, Lindberg, Marleau, Mayes, McDowell, Meadows, Meisner, Miller, Polidori, Sak, Sheltrown, Alma Smith, Tobocman and Warren offered the following concurrent resolution:

            House Concurrent Resolution No. 22.

            A concurrent resolution to express the commitment of the Michigan Legislature to the development of a health care system that provides comprehensive coverage to all residents.

            Whereas, Article 4, Section 51 of our state constitution declares that health care is a primary concern. Moreover, statutory law requires the state to prepare a state health plan that includes "mechanisms to promote adequate access to health care for all segments of the state's population"

(MCL 325.2010(2) (a)); and

            Whereas, Fragmentation of health care financing among many insurers and categorical programs has resulted in no one, entity having enough power to effectively control health care costs, and allowing those costs to rise at rates well above wage increases and inflation.  All competing, manufacturing countries provide health care to everyone as a shared responsibility of the whole society instead of as a benefit of employment; and

            Whereas, Those competing countries follow the moral value that health care is a human right but we in the United States do not.  Michigan needs a system that controls costs while providing high quality, comprehensive care.  More than1 million Michigan residents are still uninsured and thousands more are underinsured or are losing coverage.  Governor Granholm has made a public commitment to improve our stewardship of the Michigan health care dollar by working with and supporting the efforts of the Michigan Health Insurance Access Advisory Council in completing a health care coverage finance study by the end of the 2006-2007 fiscal year and has made a public commitment to work toward health care for all residents of this state; now, therefore, be it

            Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That we in the Michigan Legislature commit to the design and enactment of legislation for a health care system based on the principles of shared responsibility and good stewardship; and be it further

            Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Senate Majority Leader as an expression of our shared responsibility and good stewardship.