On Wednesday, February 11, 2025, medical students at the University of Louisville met to organize a Chapter of the Students for a National Health Program (SNaHP), the student arm of Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP).  PNHP is a single-issue organization with more than 25,000 members advocating a universal, comprehensive, single-payer national health program.

Hamza Jamal, a second year medical student, organized the meeting and led with a presentation on the purpose of SNaHP and its proud history of advocacy, both on the U of L campus and nationally. Kay Tillow, Chair of Kentuckians for Single Payer Health Care (KSPH), spoke on the state of our healthcare outcomes and costs and the necessity to move to a national single payer system, free from profit. Harriette Seiler, Secretary of KSPH, told of the positive experience of her Canadian family with their single payer system.

Students asked probing questions centering on what they can do to accomplish the needed changes in health care. Dr. Anthony Martin, the group’s advisor, joined in the lively discussion on how to survive as a physician while advocating for systemic change.

To reach the student group, email Hamza Jamal (pictured in photo) at hamza.jamal@louisville.edu

Hamza Jamal has written an article examining health care administrative costs in the United States.  Access the article here.

Sicko is a 2007 American political documentary film by filmmaker Michael Moore. Investigating health care in the United States, the film focuses on the country’s health insurance and the pharmaceutical industry. Moore compares the for-profit non-universal U.S. system with the non-profit universal health care systems of Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Cuba. Watch it, free, here:

Ona Marshall and Drs. Ed Marshall and Alecia Fields, experts on reproductive rights in Kentucky, discuss the status of those rights on this episode of Single Payer Radio, hosted by Paul Hoppe and Drs. Mike Flynn and Eugene Shively.

Forward Radio · Single Payer Radio | Women’s Reproductive Rights in Kentucky | 9-16-2024

On Sep. 14, 2024, Harriette Seiler, Paul Hoppe, and Dave Shuler staffed the KSPH booth to distribute flyers and get petitions signed. They report an enthusiastic reception by the public. Our thanks to the Louisville Workers Brigade for generously sharing their booth with us.

Labor Day weekend Kentuckians for Single Payer Health Care staffed a booth at the World Fest.  Enthusiastic supporters lined up to sign the petition urging candidates and elected officials to “boldly support national single payer health care legislation.” 

Photo: Jill Harmer uses her fluent Spanish to explain Medicare for All.

As they signed they told their stories.  One couple decides each year whether or not they can afford to buy insurance or take the chance of going without.  They currently have an ACA plan purchased on the Exchange that costs them $1,400 monthly for the two of them and their daughter. 

A woman in a Medcaid/Medicare Advantage plan related how her insurer denies the physical therapy she desperately needs.

People loved the “Enhanced Medicare for All” bumper stickers and the T-shirts. 

Check out the photos in Harriette Seiler’s album:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/YSwmjkhUbPunZnsbA

Kentucky Legislature Impedes Access to Opioid Addiction Treatment

I hosted a SinglePayer Radio program recently with Dr. Pat Murphy, nationally known pain management treatment and addiction specialist that prompted me to write this post. With Kentucky having the 7th highest drug overdose rate in the country, our state legislators have the power to relax the antiquated Buprenorphine (Suboxone) dispensing rules due to the monumental  elimination of the federal X-waiver requirement for Physicians in January of 2023. Kentucky is one of only 7 states that have not done so and it seems there is little interest in doing so. Dr Murphy believes Gov Beshear, through his Executive Authority, could possibly reverse some of these barriers to this life changing and life saving treatment. If we send emails to our state representatives as well as Gov Beshear, we may be in a position to save the lives of many Kentuckians. <Click here if you need a template>