PAL extends and enthusiastic welcome to Voluntary Hospitals House Staff Benefits Plan (VHHSBP), Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR), SEIU Healthcare to our Coalition. Voluntary Hospitals House Staff Benefits Plan, is a union health and welfare fund that provides medical and prescription benefits to approximately 8,000 members (and their families) of the Committee of Interns and Residents who work in a group of hospitals in the New York City area. CIR is the largest housestaff union in the country, representing more than 13,000 residents in California, Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. CIR contracts improve housestaff salaries and working conditions as well as enhance the quality of patient care. CIR was founded in 1957. In May, 1997, CIR affiliated with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which now has 2 million members and over 1 million healthcare workers all over the country.
The Prescription Access Litigation coalition has more than 130 organizational members that represent over 13 million individuals. The coalition includes consumer advocacy organizations, senior citizen groups, health care advocacy groups, labor unions, union benefit funds, nonprofit health plans, and others. PAL coalition members join class action lawsuits, help get the word out about new lawsuits and settlements, and participate in advocacy campaigns to curtail runaway drug marketing and unethical drug pricing. If your organization is interested in joining the PAL coalition, learn more here.