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Save the Date, Thursday. October. 4, 2018. Margaret Flowers MD to Speak in Louisville

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Please save the date for you will not want to miss this!

Kentuckians for Single Payer Health Care will host an event:

7 pm, Thursday, October 4, 2018, at Hotel Louisville, 120 W. Broadway, Louisville 40202

Margaret Flowers MD will be the featured speaker.   Dr. Flowers is one of the Baucus 8, the physicians, nurses and others who were arrested in Senator Max Baucus’ Finance Committee Hearing for seeking to get single payer health care on the agenda.

You can see her on Bill Moyers Journal in the video below.

Poor People’s Campaign Demands Health Care and a Healthy Planet

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On Monday, June 4, 2018, the Rev. Dr. William Barber joined over 400 Kentuckians in a rally on the Capitol steps in Frankfort to press forward the demand of the Poor People’s Campaign for Health Care and a Healthy Planet.  Kentuckians for Single Payer Health Care was pleased to be among the supporters.  That’s Harriette Seiler on the left holding the hot pink single payer sign.
Following the rally, Capitol police barred the way for the group to enter into the Capitol Rotunda.  Here’s some of the news coverage:
The Monday demonstrations will continue leading up to a national events in late June.  Here’s the facebook page for the Kentucky campaign.

Single Payer Health Care is among the objectives of the Poor People’s Campaign. 
June 4, 2018, Rally for Health Care and a Healthy Planet on the Capitol Steps in Frankfort
June 4, 2018, Rally for Health Care and a Healthy Planet on the Capitol Steps in Frankfort

Tom Moffett 1924-2018. We honor Tom for his decades of struggle and inspiration.

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DSCN0105

Kentuckians for Single Payer Health Care was fortunate to have the participation of Tom Moffett in our meetings and actions since 2004.

He inspired all of us with his view that it is indeed possible to win national single payer health care in the United States.

He constantly encouraged us to reach higher.  And because of him we did, and will continue to do so.

He is pictured with his fist in the air in front of the Humana Building in 2009 as hundreds demanded that Humana end the denial of care.

Below is Tom participating in the sit in at Humana on October 29, 2009.  When he could no longer sit on the floor, he brought the chair to facilitate his ability to be a part of the protest.

Remembering Tom Moffett–listen to previous appearances by Tom on Single Payer Radio here.

We send our concolences to Tom’s family and his Kentucky family of thousands who love him and will remember him forever for his bold and living struggle for racial, economic, gender, and health care justice.

Tom Moffett, Presente!

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Jill Harmer and Peg Box take the single payer message to MS Walkers

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Last Saturday, Jill Harmer and Peg Box went to the Multiple Sclerosis Walk. They distributed hundreds of flyers and received a warm and welcoming reception from the walkers. Here is their flyer.

Forward to single payer health care

While health care reform helped some, many with MS and other chronic conditions still find essential care and drugs too costly or not on their insurers’ formulary.

Over 300 patient advocacy groups have protested to Health & Human Services that too many are still facing barriers to care.

The way forward. A bill in Congress, HR 676, Expanded & Improved Medicare for All, will provide care for everyone under a single payer, publicly funded system. All medically necessary care including dental & drugs will be covered–and you choose your doctor.

No co-pays, no deductibles, no limited networks.
No worry about medical bills! Monies now going to corporate profits will be available for care.

We invite you to join this movement. Kentuckians for Single Payer Health Care meets 1st & 3rd Thursdays each month, 5:30 pm, Board Rm, Mezzanine, Louisville Free Public Library, 301 York.

KSPH offers to show the film “Fix It” or to give free presentations on single payer. (502) 636-1551 nursenpo@aol.com
Learn more: www.kyhealthcare.org

Jill Harmer and Peg Box (LtoR)
Jill Harmer and Peg Box (LtoR)

Healthcare unaffordable for 72% of Kentuckians, survey finds

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On May 14, 2018, Kentucky Voices for Health hosted a meeting in Lexington focused on the affordability of healthcare for Kentuckians.  Lynn Quincy of Altarum explained the results of the survey.  A panel of patients gave real meaning to the cold figures, and several state legislators spoke.

A demonstration in Louisville across the street from the Humana Headquarters.
A demonstration in Louisville across the street from the Humana Headquarters.

Mirroring national trends, an alarming 72% of Kentucky adults report one or more healthcare affordability problems. These range from not being able to afford health insurance; delaying or foregoing healthcare (55%) to struggling to pay their medical bills (57%). One-quarter of all adults in Kentucky report being contacted by a collection agency about their medical bills, according to results from a survey of more than 900 Kentucky adults conducted by Altarum’s Healthcare Value Hub.

Harriette Seiler and Kay Tillow of Kentuckians for Single Payer Health Care attended and distributed single payer information.

Here is the article by Kay Tillow about the meeting.  It is on the internet at Daily Kos where you can read it, see comments, and add your own.

The details of the survey are available here.   The Kentucky Voices for Health article on the survey and the May 14 meeting is here.

 

Brandi Jones, first SNaHP President at UofL Medical School, graduates.

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Brandi Jones MD

Brandi Jones MD

Brandi Jones, MD, is one of the founders of and the first president of Students for a National Health Program (SNaHP) at the University of Louisville School of Medicine.

She has now graduated from medical school.

Congratulation, Dr. Jones!

In addition to her studies, she spent countless hours educating her colleagues about single payer, planning programs of outreach, and assuring that SNaHP would be continued by subsequent classes.

Kentuckians for Single Payer is grateful for her awesome work and wishes her the best as she goes forward to heal patients and a broken health care system.

 

 

Casper on Kentucky Candidates; Feeney on Single Payer in Taiwan

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This week Mark McKinley interviewed Charlie Casper and Don Feeney for Single Payer Radio.

Charlie Casper and Mark McKinley staff the table at the Park DuValle Community Health Care Center's health fair.
Charlie Casper and Mark McKinley staff the table at the Park DuValle Community Health Care Center’s health fair.

Charlie Casper spoke about KSPH efforts to educate candidates and office holders on single payer healthcare.
Don Feeney DMD spoke about the Taiwan single payer system.

You can listen to the program here.

Kentuckians for Single Payer Health Care can be heard every week on Forward Radio, 106.5 FM on Wed 5pm, Thur 9am, and Fri 7am.

At those days and times, Single Payer Radio is also streamed live here.

Most of the Candidates in the 6th CD Speak for Single Payer

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On Monday, April 23, 2018, there was a 6th Congressional district candidate forum at the Library in Lexington.

The event was sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Lexington, Lexington Public Library and Frankfort/Lexington Chapter of the LINKS Incorporated (videotaped for later viewing).

Here is the link to the video of the forum: http://www.wkyt.com/content/news/6th-District-Congressional-forum-Monday-ahead-of-May-primary-480527471.html

At 20:47 the moderator asks the question about health care.

Bill Mahan at his single payer booth in Lexington. He was joined by Kay Tillow and Harriette Seiler.
Bill Mahan at his single payer booth in Lexington. He was joined by Kay Tillow and Harriette Seiler.

Briefly, here’s what they said:

Rep. Reggie Thomas stated that we should move forward and implement a Medicare for All, single payer system.
Geoff Young said that he would sign on as a cosponsor of HR 676.
Mayor Jim Gray said that we need to improve what we’ve got.
Amy McGrath said that we need to fix the Affordable Care Act and add a public option and a Medicare Buy-In
Chuck Eddy said he opposes repeal of the Affordable Care Act and that we need to improve it.
David Kemph says he supports single payer but that it must be done in an orderly way by first combining Medicare, Medicaid, and the VA.
Theodore Green says he supports single payer but that the ACA needs to be tweaked and made a part of a single payer plan.

The segment on health care ends at 26:33.  If you listen to 6 minutes of the video beginning at 20:47 you can hear all of their statements on health care.

Determined Action Needed on Social Determinants

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By David U. Himmelstein, M.D. and Steffie Woolhandler, M.D., M.P.H.
Annals of Internal Medicine, April 17, 2018

In 2015 and again in 2016, Americans’ life expectancy decreased, the first multiyear decline since 1962 and 1963. Even before this recent dip, U.S. life expectancy lagged behind that of most other wealthy nations. Meanwhile, as health policy leaders shift payment from “volume” to “value,” they have pointed to an upswing in virtually every quality metric they reward. In addition, journals announce a steady stream of life-prolonging technical advances.

If medical care is improving, why are patients doing worse?

Deteriorating social determinants of health—the key drivers of health status spotlighted in the American College of Physicians (ACP) position paper—probably underlie this paradox. For lower-income Americans, we have stalled, or even moved backward, on combating the root causes of morbidity and mortality.

http://www.pnhp.org/news/2018/april/determined-action-needed-on-social-determinants