29. Establish a Nonprofit Democratic Party Health Care System

WHEREAS more than 46 million Americans are without health insurance in this country,

WHEREAS many Hawai`i citizens who do not qualify for Medicare or Medicaid are unable to afford private insurance;

WHEREAS many Hawai`i employers cannot offer full time employment to their employees because they cannot afford the cost of health insurance for them,

WHEREAS many Hawai`i citizens are excluded from obtaining individual health care coverage because they have a pre-existing condition which the private insurance companies will not cover,

WHEREAS access to competent, affordable healthcare should be available to all Hawai`i residents, regardless of income or the existence of pre-existing conditions,

THEREFORE, the Maui County Democratic Party asks the Hawai`i State Democratic Party to initiate a non-profit healthcare cooperative plan for all its members who agree to attend at least three Democratic Party meetings per year in their precinct, district, County or state.

AND THEREFORE, the Maui County Democratic Party asks the Hawai`i State Democratic Party to provide healthcare to its members on a sliding scale based on individual income and not to exclude anyone from membership due to a pre-existing condition.

AND THEREFORE, the Maui County Democratic Party asks the Hawai`i State Democratic Party to establish a healthcare committee, composed of 11 members, half of whom shall be medical professionals and the balance party members, to plan the structure of our non-profit healthcare plan and report back to the Hawai`i State Central Committee within six months of our 2006 Convention with a proposed plan of healthcare action.

AND THEREFORE, the Maui County Democratic Party asks the Hawai`i State Democratic Party to direct its representatives on the Democratic National Committee to request that a national Democratic Party healthcare plan be placed on the agenda for discussion at the first meeting of the Democratic National Committee following the Hawai`i State convention.