Health Justice Working Group

The Health Justice working group is dedicated to advocating for health care as a human right with a class analysis. As socialists, we advocate first for the elimination of a profit-driven private insurance industry, to be replaced by public funding of health care through greater taxation of the top income earners. This would ensure accessible and free care to all, including those most marginalized and devalued by capitalism. Approximately 45,000 annual deaths are associated with lack of health insurance in the United States, and medical bills account for about 50% of all personal bankruptcies (75% of which had health insurance at the onset of illness or injury.) Under capitalism, the basic human right of health care is rationed to the upper class, which translates effectively to a right to life; for persons over 50 years old, the life expectancy of the top 20% income earners is 13 years longer than the life expectancy of the bottom 20% income earners.

We also believe that we should not stop here, and that we must replace privatized health care delivery (for-profit health care providers and hospital and pharmaceutical corporations) with a nationalized health program, where health care delivery would be public, democratic, and transparent. It has been well demonstrated that for-profit channels of health care incur higher costs but produce lower scores on health care measures and have higher death rates.

This DSA working group aims to petition, canvass, host town hall meetings, put pressure on elected officials, and strengthen community coalition in order to advocate for prompt and sustainable transition to a single-payer, and subsequently nationalized, health care program.

Get Involved!

Check out our friends the Tampa Bay Abortion Fund! They offer practical assistance (financial and otherwise) to people in need of an abortion.

As for us, look for upcoming events and plug in to our working group meetings to share ideas, interests, and skills you’d like to contribute!

Recent Posts from Health Justice

• TAMPA CITY COUNCIL TO VOTE ON TDSA’S CITY RESOLUTION ON ABORTION DECRIMINALIZATIONAugust 16, 2022
  TAMPA, FL —  The Tampa chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) has drafted a City Council resolution outlining support for decriminalizing abortion city-wide. This resolution has been drafted in collaboration with Councilwoman Lynn Hurtak in response to the recent overturning of Roe v Wade, and was presented to the Tampa City Council for … Read more
• Tampa DSA’s Abortion Rights City Council ResolutionAugust 5, 2022
  Tampa DSA’s Abortion Rights City Council Resolution Update: Motion to vote on language submitted by Councilmember Hurtak, Councilmembers Maniscalco and Gudes motion to postpone until 08/18/2022 at 5:00 PM. Maniscalco-Gudes motion carries 4-1, Hurtak votes no. WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Tampa honors the rights of pregnant people to bodily autonomy and … Read more
• TDSA Abortion Rights Press ReleaseJuly 29, 2022
  TAMPA, FL —  The Tampa chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) has developed a list of demands in response to the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court. This decision is an affront to bodily autonomy and democracy, and poses a mortal threat to the health and wellbeing of the … Read more