by Carol Dalrymple  United States Representative John Conyers reintroduced HR 676, now titled the United States National Health Care Act, into the 111th Congress on January 26th. The bill will provide comprehensive medical, dental and prescription drug coverage to all United States residents, using a single payer financing mechanism. It has been referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce as well as the House Ways and Means and Natural Resources Committees. Last year the bill had 93 co-sponsors, including Bay Area Representatives Mike Honda and Sam Farr. So far this year, only Sam Farr has again signed on, although Mike Honda’s office states that he will also co-sponsor. A visit was made to Congress Member Zoe Lofgren on February 2nd by a coalition of local single payer advocacy groups and representatives from local unions. While not pledging to co-sponsor the bill, Representative Lofgren is cognizant of the crisis in healthcare coverage and agrees that private health insurance companies are a part of the problem. Visits to other Bay Area Congress Members will be upcoming. HR 676, like Senate Bill 840 in California, would establish a government-based system of universal health insurance coverage. It would be funded by modest and progressive taxes on workers and employers, plus additional taxes on high wages earners and a quarter of one percent tax on stock and bond transactions. Currently, the taxes for HR 676 are estimated at 4.75% of payroll for workers and for employers. Employers who currently provide coverage are now spending between 12 and 15% of payroll. The bill would also impose a surtax of 5% of income on the top 5% of wages earners and a surtax of 10% of income on the top one percent of wage earners and make use of certain other efficiencies. Congress Member Conyers has launched a website devoted to HR 676. It can be found at www.johnconyers.com/healthcare. Other useful websites are www.healthcare-now.org and www.guaranteedhealthcare4all.org. Locally, there are several groups working to promote HR 676 and secure congressional support. They include Health Care for All – California, Santa Clara County Chapter: 408 984 8708; the Santa Clara County Single Payer Coalition: 408 977 1275 and the San Jose Labor Party: 408 254 3311. National groups supporting single payer healthcare reform include the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee: www.guaranteedhealthcare.org; Physicians for a National Health Program: www.pnhp.org; and Progressive Democrats of America: www.pdamerica.org. More stories: Health care advocates meet with Rep. Zoe Lofgren Rally for Single Payer Health Care Medicare's 44th Birthday -- Rallies for Single Payer | 