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Health Care Reform Must Address Human Rights

Ask your Senators and Representative to ensure that health care reform conforms to principles derived from the internationally recognized right to health.

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As Congress considers legislation to reform our health care system, it is vital that any reforms be based on respect for human rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights specifically lists adequate medical care as a human right. The current US health care system falls disturbingly short of fully respecting the human right of its citizens. Lack of access to quality health care in many rural and urban locations, large numbers of uninsured, significant disparities between races in the delivery of care, and efforts to deny care to undocumented workers are all morally untenable. It is unconscionable that these injustices take place in such a wealthy nation. They represent serious human rights violations that any reform process must urgently address.

As you consider the specifics of any bill that comes before the Congress, I urge you ensure that each proposal conforms to principles derived from the internationally recognized right to health. There are many possible ways to effectively reform the US health care system, but under any system the US government has an obligation to ensure that health services are available, accessible, acceptable, and of good quality for all people. The government must undertake to prohibit and eliminate racial disparities in health care delivery. Health care should be culturally and linguistically appropriate and communities, especially vulnerable groups, should participate in the development and monitoring of systems that are responsive to their needs. The government also has an obligation to refrain from denying access to health care for any persons, including prisoners or detainees, minorities, asylum seekers, and illegal immigrants.

Don't let political partisanship and narrow interests derail reforms that are so clearly needed for our nation's future. Human rights considerations, not only financial and political concerns, must be placed at the heart of the reform process. If legislation is crafted with this framework in mind it will move the United States forward toward a more equitable and morally responsible health care system.

Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address]

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