Upcoming Events

Greetings!

The debate is growing fast. There is a quantum increase in knowledge about and interest in Single Payer Health Care in the country. There has never been a more opportune time for us to achieve a non-profit publicly-funded national health plan. Let me tell you about several important upcoming local events to listen to or attend in the next few days and weeks:

(1) Kay Tillow will be on “Kentucky Tonight” Monday, April 20, KET, 8:00 EDT.
(2) Dr. Ewell Scott will speak in Lexington Wednesday, April 29.
(3) Thursday, May 28, we hit the streets demonstrating for HR 676 in front of the Humana Building in downtown Louisville.
(4) Saturday, May 30, Kentucky and Indiana Single Payer groups, with the sponsorship of the Presbyterian Church USA, host a seminar featuring Congressman John Conyers, former PNHP President Dr. Claudia Fegan, and Dr. Rob Stone, Chair of Hoosiers for a Common Sense Health Plan.

Details of these events will be update on the web site soon. If you want to change the system, attend these events. Be there. Talk it up with your friends. Make a movement.

Fourth National Call-in Day for HR 676

FOURTH NATIONAL CALL-IN DAY FOR HR 676
Single-Payer Healthcare
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Call Your Representatives!

Now is the moment when our efforts for single payer health care legislation can be effective. There has never before been as widespread understanding of single payer nor as much support.

The first three call-in efforts were a great start, but we need to keep the pressure on!

Thank Congressman Yarmuth for his past support and urge him to continue. With non-supporting congresspersons make the point that it is the only reform that can really work and that it is politically feasible. When the rest of the congress understand that we, the people, want this real reform, they will realize its political power and get behind it too.

Please take a moment to call the US Capitol switchboard: (202) 224 3121. Then ask for your representative.

If you need to look up your or someone else’s Congressperson, you can go to http://votesmart.org/ and put in the zip code.

If you have two more minutes, please call one or both or your senators to urge them to introduce in the Senate a companion bill to HR 676. You can use the same number: (202) 224 3121.

National Call-in Day for HR 676

NATIONAL CALL-IN DAY FOR HR 676
Single-Payer Healthcare
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Call Your Representatives!

Now is the moment when our efforts for single payer health care legislation can be effective. There has never before been as widespread understanding of single payer nor as much support. Single payer support in the Obama-Daschle Health Care Forums was huge. Let’s keep knocking on the door. Thank Congressman Yarmuth for his past support and urge him to continue. With non-supporting congresspersons make the point that it is the only reform that can really work and that it is politically feasible. When the rest of the congress understand that we, the people, want this real reform, they will realize its political power and get behind it too.

Please take a moment to call the US Capitol switchboard: (202) 224 3121. Then ask for your representative.

If you need to look up your or someone else’s Congressperson, you can go to http://votesmart.org/ and put in the zip code.

If you have two more minutes, please call one or both or your senators to urge them to introduce in the Senate a companion bill to HR 676. You can use the same number: (202) 224 3121.

Baucus on health care

Note: this post is a response to this thread on DailyKos.

I doubt anyone will follow the chain of comments all the way to this post. The Baucus Plan, like the Massachusetts model, is just too darn complicated. And it will never be able to contain escalating costs going forward because the insurers will insist on their profits. Keep it simple, Max. Use the model of traditional Medicare (before the Republicans allowed the insurers into the game).

Let’s enact HR 676, the single payer legislation (already spelled out at thomas.loc.gov (Full Text) and co-sponsored by 94 representatives in the House. That proposal has been vetted. The Lewin Group has done the math–we would save billions and only the wealthiest would pay a little more in taxes. We would pay for health care the way we pay for fire and police protection. The Canadian plan is not perfect, but we can improve on that model, adding dental, vision and long term care, for example. As for John Goodman, of the McCain campaign and the National Center for Policy Analysis, he has a tendency to misspeak, citing outdated data or anecdotal research. Usually he is in synch with the Fraser Institute–former pro-market pals of the tobacco industry.