“We will not solve our health care crisis as long as private insurance plays a dominant role. We should correct the flaws of the current Medicare program and extend this coverage to all age groups,” says Ed Weisbart, MD, Chair of the Missouri Chapter of Physicians for a National Health Program who was in Louisville speaking at a series of events:

* Thur. April 10, 2014, 7:00 PM,

Old Medical School Bldg, 101 W. Chestnut St.

“Health Care Reform: What’s Here? What’s Coming? What’s Missing? The solution: Improved Medicare for All”

* Fri. April 11, 2014, 7:30-8:30 AM,

Over 70 physicians attended the UofL Family and Geriatric Medicine Grand Rounds at Jewish Hospital.

“Health Care Reform 2.0: Beyond the Affordable Care Act. Fix the problems with Medicare and provide that to all Americans.”

Physicians for a National Health Program — Kentucky
and
Kentuckians for Single Payer Health Care

Saturday, April 12, 2014
Lang House, 115 S. Ewing Ave.
Louisville, KY

Building the Single Payer Movement in Kentucky

Responding to the Health Care Crisis

9:30 a.m.
Registration and Refreshments

10:00 a.m.
Welcome to PNHP-Kentucky’s Annual Meeting
– Garrett Adams, MD, MPH, Immediate past-president, Physicians for a National Health Program.

10:05 a.m.
Introductions of all – around the room

10:15 a.m.
The Affordable Care Act Crumble File
– Kay Tillow & David Ross Stevens
Q & A

10:35 a.m.
Building Single Payer in Tennessee and the South
– Art Sutherland, MD
Q & A

10:50 a.m.
Fighting for Single Payer in the US and Health Care in New Zealand
– Carol Paris, MD
Q & A

11:05 a.m.
The Solution: An Expanded and Improved Medicare for All and How We Preach Beyond the Choir
– Ed Weisbart, MD (30 minutes)
Q & A and open discussion (15 minutes)

11:50 p.m. Box Lunches
– PNHP Kentucky business meeting

12:35 p.m.
Panel: What is happening to patients and to medical practice?
Kentucky Physicians respond
– Edgar Lopez, MD, Louisville, Moderator
– Tracy Ragland MD, Crestwood
– Scott Graham, MD, Fredonia
– Esther Costel, MD, Louisville

1:00 p.m.
Q & A and open discussion

1:15 p.m.
Panel: The Single Payer Solution and Building the Movement to Win It
– Garrett Adams, MD, Moderator
– Art Sutherland, MD
– Carol Paris, MD
– Ed Weisbart, MD

1:45 p.m.
Wrap –Up and Challenge to move forward

2:30 Adjourn

Kentuckians for Single Payer Health Care walked in Louisville’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade to the applause and cheers of the crowds. We distributed over 1,700 flyers on single payer. Pictured L to R, Scotty Pulliam, Betty Schmitt, Enid Redman, Greg Pecaro, Charlotte Schmitt, Theresa Schmitt, and Harriette Seiler.

On March 5, 2014, Kentuckians for Single Payer Health Care participated in this commemorative march and rally at the State Capitol in Frankfort. Thousands marched demanding voting rights and passage of HB 70.

On the left is Scotty Pulliam, former president of IBEW Local 369 and KSPH Board Member; second from right is Charlie Clephas, Vice President of the Greater Louisville Central Labor Council; third from right is Charlie Essex, Business Manager of IBEW Local 369.

Vicco, KY endorses single payer.

The Vicco City Commissioners are Lula Gibson, Jimmy Slone, and Claude Branson. (photo by Lane Adams)

KSPH Chair Kay Tillow and Vicco Mayor Johnny Cummings.

Press Release

January 30, 2014

VICCO, Ky—This little Appalachian community that made national news a year ago by passing a Fairness Ordinance did it again tonight. It voted to endorse Single Payer Healthcare, HR 676, joining 54 other American cities, including Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, Philadelphia, Detroit and Baltimore.

Vicco, KY endorses single payer.

L to R Vicco City Commissioners Lula Gibson, Jimmy Slone, Claude Branson, Mayor Johnny Cummings, Kay Tillow, Dr. Garrett Adams, Harriette Seiler (photo by Lane Adams)

The struggling coal town of 334 people unanimously endorsed Expanded and Improved Medicare for All, HR 676, national single payer legislation sponsored by Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI). Vicco—established by the Virginia Iron Coal and Coke Company—is now the fourth Kentucky local government to favor Single Payer Healthcare. The others are Metro Louisville, Boyle County, and the City of Morehead. In 2007, the Kentucky House legislators also endorsed the bill.

Vicco was put on the map early last year when the New York Times, USA Today, the LA Times and other national media covered the passage of the town’s new law prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. It was the smallest city in America to pass such a law.

Vicco gained further fame last August when Mayor Johnny Cummings and City Commissioners were featured on the Colbert Show on cable television. The Colbert Segment went viral with almost three quarters of a million views.

Since then, Vicco, Mayor Johnny Cummings, and the city commissioners have won further state and national praise. At an event that featured Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan last September, University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto referred to Vicco when he described Kentucky as a place “deep in values that show up in unexpected ways and in unexpected places.”

KSPH Chair Kay Tillow and Vicco Mayor Johnny Cummings.

Vicco’s new-found reputation as a progressive and humane community led to a presentation Monday night on health care by Dr. Garrett Adams, past president of Physicians for a National Health Program, and three Louisville colleagues, all representing Kentuckians for Single Payer Healthcare (KSPH).

The KSPH members pointed out that every person in Vicco—and everywhere else in the United States—would be covered by a plan similar to but better than the Medicare system that now serves those over 65 years of age. The HR 676 bill would expand Medicare to all ages and would improve it to include dental, vision, mental health–all medically necessary care. Patients would choose their own doctors and hospitals and there would be no co-pays or deductibles. HR 676 would annually save over $400 billion by ending the profits and waste caused by private insurance companies. The savings would then be used to expand an improved care to everyone in the country.

Kay Tillow, Chair of KSPH, said, “It’s a moral issue. We believe that health care should not depend on ability to pay. We invite other cities to join our grassroots movement.”

The Vicco city commissioners decided to throw the weight of the town government behind this movement.

NEWS CONTACT:

Garrett Adams MD MPH, Louisville, KY., Physicians for a National Health Program-KY, www.pnhp.org

Kay Tillow (502) 636-1551, KSPH Chair, nursenpo@aol.com

Kentuckians for Single Payer Health Care
http://kyhealthcare.org

Text of the Resolution under the seal of the City of Vicco

Whereas: Barriers to quality medical care infringe on the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and access to health care is a fundamental human right, and;

Whereas a bill has been introduced in Congress, HR 676, aka The Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act, that will provide all medically necessary care, including dental and prescription drugs, to everyone in the country from birth to death. There will be no co-pays nor deductibles so that inability to pay will be removed as an impediment to care.

Whereas with HR 676 each person will choose their own physicians, hospitals, and other providers.

Therefore be it resolved that the City of Vicco wholeheartedly endorses HR 676, the Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act; and

Be it further resolved that we call on our representative in Congress, Representative Harold Rogers, to formally co-sponsor HR 676 so that the people of our city, our state, and our nation can move forward toward the excellent health care we deserve.

Signatories:

Mayor Johnny Cummings
Claude Branson, Commissioner
Lula Regina Gibson, Commissioner
Jimmy Slone, Commissioner

Electronic copy of the resolution available upon request from Kay Tillow, nursenpo@aol.com

Press release on PNHP website with photo.

I’ve just been part of a Twitter exchange as to whether or not the ACA is a pathway to a single payer plan? Many single-payer supporters hope that the good things in the ACA (no exclusion for pre-existing conditions, for example) will bring us closer to truly universal coverage. There are Twitter folk who think Obamacare could just be tweaked to offer plans that would bypass the private insurers–plans such as a Medicare buy-in or a public option. The physicians at PNHP.org point out the flaws in such proposals. See the 06/15/2010 article by Margaret Flowers, M.D.. During the debate on health care reform, Dr. Flowers was one of the “Baucus 8,” a respected physician removed from the Senate chamber when she and seven others asked to be allowed to testify on the merits of a single payer system. She explains why a publicly funded, nonprofit single payer cannot co-exist within a national system that includes the private insurers. Here’s the link to the article.

Members of the Steering Committee of KSPH are often asked to give a talk about single payer. Ideally, we like to have about 40 minutes for a PowerPoint presentation, followed by 15 minutes for Q&A. But quite often the hosting group asks for a shorter talk, so we have prepared this “nutshell” version of our message. It takes less than 5 minutes to deliver–and can be adapted by the speaker.

1. We are members of Kentuckians for Single Payer Healthcare, volunteer advocates for a health care program that would go beyond the Affordable Care Act(ACA) to cover absolutely everyone in our country. We acknowledge that the ACA will benefit certain people, but over 30 million will be left uninsured.

2. We are nonpartisan, but we do support a bill in Congress, HR 676, that would expand and improve Medicare–and give it to everyone. You have our brochure which will give you details about the legislation. You may also read a summary, or the full text, online.

3. HR 676 would provide coverage for all necessary medical care–dental, vision, and long-term care–and we could choose our own doctor.

4. Passage of HR 676 would save billions of dollars per year by cutting the administrative waste caused by our current dependence on private insurers. The plan would be nonprofit, and publicly funded. The ‘”single payer” would be “we the people” using our taxes to provide coverage and care for each other. Ninety-five percent of Americans would pay less than they do now–considering what we currently pay if you add up premiums, out-of-pocket expenses, and taxes. The health of our people and our economy would benefit. Business would be relieved of the burden of providing and managing health insurance.

5. Our companies would be more competitive in the global marketplace. The governments of other advanced industrial democracies–countries where capitalism is thriving–have set up some version of single payer to provide universal care to their people. Moreover, their health outcomes are better than ours–outcomes such as infant mortality, life expectancy, etc.

6. You may ask about the impact on jobs. HR 676 has built-in funding for transitioning employees from a for-profit system to a system focused on providing care. As everyone gets access to care, thousands of health care jobs will be created.

7. We think you will agree that this also is a moral issue, a human rights issue. No one who is ill should be denied treatment. No one who has been hospitalized should face bankruptcy due to medical bills. No one should have to go through Medicaid’s humiliating process to prove they are “poor enough” to get coverage for themselves and their children. “Ability to pay,” or a high deductible, should not be a barrier to care.

We are a grassroots movement. We believe we can make this happen. We invite you to join us. We meet on the 1st and 3rd Thursday each month in the downtown Louisville Library. You may find us on Facebook. If you would like more information, the brochure lists several websites. For those who want to view data and the results of research, go to pnhp.org the web site of Physicians for a National Health Program.
(Louisville, KY, January 14, 2014)

I am a member of the League of Women Voters–Kentucky. I was asked recently to write an article about kynect, our state’s ACA exchange, for the organization’s newsletter, The Voter. It seems worth sharing:

September 8, 2013
Across our state, public officials, health and wellness advocates, and caregivers in community clinics are working to educate the public about the benefits of the 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA), and to publicize news of the recent expansion of Medicaid. In Frankfort, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) is preparing for the October 1 launch of kynect, the Kentucky Healthcare Connection, an “exchange” or marketplace where individuals who are not covered by an employer may go to purchase an insurance plan from an approved list of private vendors. The open enrollment period runs from Oct. 1, 2013 to March 31, 2014, with policies going into effect in 2014. Plans (platinum, gold, silver, bronze) will vary as to premium cost, level of deductible, and co-pay, but all plans must, by law, provide a set of essential benefits. To see a list of ACA reforms having an impact in Kentucky, go to federal government sites such as http://www.hhs.gov/healthcare/facts/bystate/ky.html
The Kaiser Foundation also has up-to-date information: http://kff.org/health-reform/

Medicaid applications will also be processed by kynect. The Medicaid program, operated in Kentucky by five private managed care companies, serves a lower-income population, children, pregnant women, and the disabled. Eligibility for Medicaid coverage will depend on family size and income level. Certain applicants will pay no premium; others will be eligible for tax credits, payment assistance or special discounts. A CHFS white paper gives a detailed rationale for the expansion of Medicare:
http://governor.ky.gov/healthierky/Documents/MedicaidExpansionWhitePaper.pdf
The report concludes: “Medicaid expansion, coupled with the Kentucky Health Benefit Exchange, means that every individual currently uninsured, an estimated 640,000 Kentuckians, will have the opportunity to gain health insurance.”

In 2014, the controversial individual mandate will come into effect: most Kentuckians, including refugees and lawfully present immigrants, will be required to have health insurance or pay a tax penalty. The start of a special program for businesses with 50 or fewer employees has been delayed until 2015.

At the State LWV Conference on April 13, 2013, delegates approved a recommendation of the Louisville League that state members monitor the implementation of the ACA in Kentucky, insisting on “transparency, oversight of contracts, and accountability in order to maintain the focus on equitable distribution of health services.” League members are encouraged to assess the quality and affordability of plans sold through the kynect exchange and to evaluate follow-through on the handling of claims.

Posted November 17, 2013

I watched a program on KET last night. It begins with exploring poverty in Bath and Menifee Counties and visits a clinic in New Hope that serves the uninsured. The Physician’s Assistant, Bill Grimes, speaks with compassion of the needs that they can only partially meet.

In the second half, Jere Downs, who writes for the Courier-Journal, is interviewed. She tells a very moving story of losing her retirement savings to deal with her son’s leukemia treatment, of considering bankruptcy, of her current payments of $3,000 to $4,000 a year for his continuing care in spite of having health insurance. She is moved to tears as she speaks of her situation and that of other mothers of children with cancer.

You can watch the video online. The segment with Jere Downs begins at 37:40 and ends at 45 minutes.

KET Video

The program will be aired a number of times in June and July. The schedule is here:

KET schedule

When family illness takes such a toll on this Ivy league educated, professional woman, we can only imagine the devastation it brings to the majority who are less fortunate.

We must end the tragedies caused by our health care for profit system. We must pass HR 676, national single payer health care.

It is an Expanded and Improved Medicare for All with dental, drugs and long term care added. And all the deductibles, co-pays and premiums are removed. The plan would be publicly funded.

HR 676 will end the ugly dependence of getting care on the ability to pay for it. No one will ever again be bankrupted by medical bills nor deny themselves care because of family economic needs.