UNAC/UHCP Backs Obama Health Care Efforts

April 7, 2009 - PRLog -- Los Angeles, CA – The United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Healthcare Professionals (UNAC/UHCP) backed President Obama’s efforts to broaden the dialogue on achieving affordable health care for all yesterday at the regional White House Forum on Health Care Reform, held in Los Angeles.

UNAC/UHCP has long advocated that reform of the health care system take a multi-faceted approach, including expanding health care for all, providing individuals with a choice of quality plans (both private and public), and controlling the rising medical costs.

“Health care providers and unions including UNAC/UHCP have been working for health care reform for a very long time.  We have to increase access, affordability and quality of care now,” said Barbara L. Blake, Registered Nurse and State Secretary for UNAC/UHCP.  

As health care professionals, members of UNAC/UHCP know that preventative health care can reduce costs by treating patients before their health problems escalate.  Early intervention means care is less difficult, less invasive and thereby less costly.  But the only way most people can get preventative care is if they have access to the health care they need.

“It’s time for comprehensive health care reform,” stated Blake. “You pay now or you pay later, and later is always more expensive and usually more painful.”

The meeting held yesterday in Los Angeles is the last in a series of regional White House forums on health care reform across the country for policy experts and the public. For more information on these forums, visit www.healthreform.gov.

The United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals represents 16,000 nurses and other health care professionals. UNAC/UHCP, as the association is known, is affiliated with the National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO. For more information on, visit www.unac-ca.org.

# # #

Nurses union representing approximately 16,000 registered nurses and other health care professionals throughout Southern California