Public Meeting On HB 74 - Single Payer Healthcare - Set For 6PM Wednesday In Dover

House Health Committee to Hold Public Meeting on Healthcare Bill

No vote will be taken on House Bill 74

DOVER – The House Health & Human Development Committee will hold a public discussion next week on legislation introduced regarding a single-payer healthcare system. The meeting is for public input and no action will be taken by the committee at this point.

Committee chair Rep. Michael A. Barbieri said that the hearing on Rep. John Kowalko’s House Bill 74 is strictly for information-gathering and public input purposes. The committee will not vote on whether to release the bill. The hearing will take place on Wednesday, November 6 at 6 p.m. in the House chamber at Legislative Hall.

“I realize that people are paying a lot of attention to the national healthcare situation right now, but Affordable Care Act is a federal program and that is not what this meeting is about,” said Rep. Barbieri, D-Newark. “We are focusing solely on HB 74 and discussing its pros and cons. I would ask Delawareans who wish to discuss this bill take the opportunity to view it online.”

The Health & Human Development Committee meeting will begin at 6 p.m. in the House chamber. There will be sign-up sheets for those wishing to speak, and public comment will be limited to two minutes per person. Speakers cannot yield time to another speaker. The committee meeting will end promptly at 8 p.m.

According to the bill’s synopsis, HB 74 “will provide a cost effective single payer health care system for the State of Delaware. The Act will provide comprehensive health care coverage to all Delawareans without any extra health insurance or out-of-pocket expense. The system will save money currently wasted on administrative/overhead costs and will provide a stable funding structure.”

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