City votes in support of universal health care

The City of Philadelphia re-elected John Street as mayor last Tuesday, but what is perhaps less well known is that voters also came out strongly in support of universal health care.

One of seven proposed charter amendments included on the Nov. 4 ballot asked Philadelphia voters if "the City of Philadelphia Health Department shall prepare a plan for universal health care that permits everyone in the City of Philadelphia to obtain decent health care."

Overall, the public voted overwhelmingly yes. According to KYW News Radio, while 74.95 percent were in support of the amendment, only 25.05 percent opposed it.

But the consensus among Penn officials is that while the sentiment is appreciated, universal health care for the city is far from becoming a reality.

Mark Pauly, chairman of the Health Care Systems Department in Wharton, said simply, "It's not gonna happen."

"The city Health Department will take several tens of thousands of dollars to write up a plan," he added. "But the chances of improving the rate of health insurance in the city is slim to none."

Robert Aronowitz, a professor of History and Sociology of Science, and Ralph Muller, chief executive officer of the University's Health System, both agreed.

Because of Philadelphia's tight budget, Muller explained, it is unlikely that the city will be able to fund universal health care.

It's "almost impossible for a city to do this," he said, stressing that although he supports universal health care, he believes it needs to be executed on a federal level.

The other health care experts were in accord with Muller.

"It's not plausible on a city level," Pauly said. "The city has no money to spend on it... you need to have the sentiment where the money is."

According to Aronowitz, this is not the first time that the City of Philadelphia has considered providing universal health care.

"Philadelphia did have a public hospital once upon a time," he said. "The Philadelphia General Hospital."

But the public hospital was dismantled during the 1970s, and although there are health districts throughout the city that provide free care, those districts are severely limited in the level of treatment that they can provide.

There is some disagreement about the effect that a universal health care plan would have on the University Health System's four hospitals.

According to Pauly, if such a plan were funded, it would mean more customers for the hospitals, and would thus have a positive effect.

"It really depends on whether it's funded or not," he said.

But Muller said that providing health care insurance for the city would necessitate raising taxes. Higher taxes would cause higher-income individuals and businesses to leave the city.

"A proposal like this would be devastating to employers in Philly," and consequently, to the hospitals, he said.

According to Rebecca Harmon, Health System spokeswoman, Penn provided $179.4 million in uncompensated care in fiscal year 2003.

That figure is the sum of all bills which went unpaid, as well as those bills which were forgiven as an act of charity.

But the actual cost of the care provided is "closer to half that," Muller said.

"Passing a resolution in support of universal decent health care is a nice symbolic statement," Aronowitz said.

"But given the existing complicated market, it's very unlikely by itself to do much."

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