{"id":208,"date":"2020-07-21T13:21:22","date_gmt":"2020-07-21T13:21:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ufcw.test.vmgdev.com\/?post_type=issues&#038;p=208"},"modified":"2026-08-21T14:15:36","modified_gmt":"2026-08-21T18:15:36","slug":"access-to-affordable-healthcare","status":"publish","type":"issues","link":"https:\/\/www.ufcw.org\/better\/access-to-affordable-healthcare\/","title":{"rendered":"Access to Affordable Healthcare"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"tw-max-w-217 tw-m-auto tw-px-6 rich-text contained-block\" data-module=\"heading\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Access to affordable healthcare is a right you deserve.<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"tw-max-w-217 tw-m-auto tw-px-6 rich-text contained-block\" data-module=\"paragraph\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nothing is scarier than getting sick and not knowing if you can afford to see a doctor, pay the bills, or get the care you need. The UFCW works every day to make sure our members have access to affordable health care through their work.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"tw-max-w-217 tw-m-auto tw-px-6 rich-text contained-block\" data-module=\"paragraph\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That&#8217;s why <strong>95 percent of private-industry union workers<\/strong> have access to medical care benefits, versus 70 percent of nonunion workers. (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bls.gov\/news.release\/archives\/ebs2_09252025.htm\">BLS,2025<\/a>) Our contracts include access to high-quality, affordable healthcare for you and your family \u2014 everything from routine preventive services to medical care in a health crisis.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"tw-max-w-217 tw-m-auto tw-px-6 rich-text contained-block\" data-module=\"embed\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Angela Summers (Local 27)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/wNN6x7F4sGM?feature=oembed&#038;enablejsapi=1&#038;origin=https:\/\/www.ufcw.org\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"tw-max-w-217 tw-m-auto tw-px-6 rich-text contained-block\" data-module=\"heading\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Provide medical insurance and sick leave for <em>all <\/em>workers<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"tw-max-w-217 tw-m-auto tw-px-6 rich-text contained-block\" data-module=\"paragraph\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Unexpected medical bills remain the number one cause of bankruptcy for American workers, which is why we push to improve our benefits and raise the floor for access to health care for all Americans. We demand that all employers in our industries provide access to good health care, even if they aren\u2019t unionized and we fight to make legislative changes that improve access to health care for every worker in America.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"tw-max-w-217 tw-m-auto tw-px-6 rich-text contained-block\" data-module=\"paragraph\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The UFCW has fought for legislation that would lower prescription drug prices and create a public health insurance option as an alternative to for-profit insurance companies, and protect collectively bargained for employment-based health coverage. We also support the passage of the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/118th-congress\/senate-bill\/1664\/text\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Healthy Families Act<\/a><\/strong>, which would require employers to provide workers with a minimum of seven paid sick days a year.\u00a0<br><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"tw-max-w-217 tw-m-auto tw-px-6 rich-text contained-block\" data-module=\"paragraph\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Unexpected medical bills remain the number one cause of bankruptcy for American workers, which is why we push to improve benefits and raise the floor on healthcare access for all Americans. We demand that all employers in our industries provide access to good healthcare, even if their workplaces aren&#8217;t unionized, and we fight for legislative changes that improve healthcare access for every worker in America.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"tw-max-w-217 tw-m-auto tw-px-6 rich-text contained-block\" data-module=\"paragraph\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The UFCW has fought for legislation that would lower prescription drug prices, create a public health insurance option as an alternative to for-profit insurers, and protect collectively bargained employment-based health coverage.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"tw-max-w-217 tw-m-auto tw-px-6 rich-text contained-block\" data-module=\"heading\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Support for striking workers<\/strong> <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"tw-max-w-217 tw-m-auto tw-px-6 rich-text contained-block\" data-module=\"paragraph\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When striking workers have financial support such as unemployment insurance, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and health insurance, it discourages employers from engaging in bad-faith tactics at the bargaining table. These benefits protect workers and their families from financial hardship as they exercise their rights and keep money flowing through businesses and local economies. The UFCW supports legislation allowing eligible striking workers and their households to apply for SNAP benefits, unemployment insurance and to keep the health benefits they&#8217;ve earned and negotiated in their contracts.<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Unchecked automation can harm workers and consumers. Here\u2019s what unions do to protect people.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":385,"featured_media":0,"menu_order":3,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-208","issues","type-issues","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>UFCW Health Insurance | Union Health Benefits Access to Affordable Healthcare - The United Food &amp; Commercial Workers International Union<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The UFCW works hard to make sure our union members have access to affordable healthcare. 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