1. UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE EDUCATION FUND ~ VOLUME 3, NUMBER 3 ~ FALL 2009
CommonHealth
Insurance Companies - The Real Death Panels
Civil Disobedience at Cigna in Newton The arrests were made when eleven demonstrators attempted
How does the health insurance industry make billions of to present a pledge form to Cigna asking them to: (1) not get
dollars in profits each year - by denying care, rescinding between patients and doctors in making medical decisions, (2)
policies, and refusing to insure people who have preexisting not use health premium dollars to lobby against health care
conditions or who fit the demographics of high risk reform, (3) not deny care because of preexisting conditions, and
individuals. Denial of care has lead to thousands of deaths (4) end company policy of rewarding employees for denying care.
each year. Cigna refused to sign the pledge and had the protesters
arrested for “trespassing”.
Cigna’s actions illustrate the underlying “modus operandi” of the
health insurance industry; to make money on the backs of sick
people without regard to the human consequences. The major
for-profit companies have paid out billions of dollars in
settlements for securities fraud, underpaying physicians and
violating disability clauses. The insurance companies are
spending millions of our health premium dollars to confuse and
scare the public and lobby against healthcare reform. It’s time
to vote the real villains out! Speak to your state and national
senators and representatives. - Pat Berger, Mass-Care Co-Chair
Boston Blue Cross-Blue Shield Protest October 29th
Pat Berger front and center
(Massachusetts Jobs with Justice photo)
To draw attention to the insurance industry atrocities, acts
of civil disobedience are being carried out across the
country. Mass-Care participated in a protest at Cigna
headquarters in Newton on October 15. that culminated in
the arrest of 11 protesters. Dr. Pat Berger, Ben Day, Lorie
Miller and Walter DuCharme from Mass-Care were in the
group that was jailed in Newton. Protesters against Cigna in
eight other cities were arrested on the same day.
The protest began with around 75 people chanting and Ann Eldridge Malone, Alliance to Defend Health Care
carrying signs. Then 15 protesters staged a “die-in”. The (Sandy Eaton photo)
“dying” patients lay on the ground holding balloons with
dollar signs on them which were gleefully collected by a Universal Health Care Education Fund c/o Mass-Care
demonstrator “CEO” delighted to make off with a bundle of 33 Harrison Avenue, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02111
money. P: 617-723-7001, F: 617-723-7002
info@masscare.org http://www.masscare.org
2. UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE EDUCATION FUND ~ VOLUME 3, NUMBER 3 ~ FALL 2009
Mass-Care in Washington Hardball Time: An Editorial
Lobby & Rally to Celebrate Medicare When you come right down to it, the Weiner gambit to substitute a
The 44th anniversary of Medicare was celebrated by a single-payer bill for the Massachusetts plan writ large was always a
major rally in Washington, DC on July 30th. Mass-Care symbolic gesture, but one much of the health reform movement clung
sent a delegation which included Pat Berger, Ben Day, to as a test of our strength at the grassroots level. We've worked
Sandy Eaton, Frank Olbris, Alice Swift, Diana Stein, hard for years now to pressure our representatives in Congress to
Kathleen Bridgewater, Jackie Balance and Jackie Wolf, stand up for HR.676, the Conyers-Kucinich Medicare-for-all bill. And
among others. IBEW DC representative John Wash and we've not been afraid to play hardball with them. Some suggest that
Verizon worker John Horgan from Local 2222 joined us the corrupting influence of the health insurance industry and other
in Senator Kerry’s office. Our delegation joined with pigs at the trough is at play here, and of course they’re right. But
other organizations from across the country at the there's an additional factor, the lack-of-backbone factor. There's a
rally to get Single Payer healthcare reform on the reluctance to step out of line and be identified as a die-hard opponent
table, and to debunk the idea that the current of greedy corporations, the real death panels. The Republican Party
Massachusetts law should be a “model” for the country. and the tea baggers will target you next year and make your life a
living hell. So everyone plays hardball except the Democratic Party
majority. The screaming tea baggers have set the agenda, and we
haven't consolidated our power enough to move in a different
direction.
The Kucinich Amendment to grant states the waivers necessary to
succeed at creating a breakthrough for real healthcare reform was
our best hope to make a difference. And it too has been declared off
the table. This is where we need to take a stand. But we cannot afford
any illusions here either. Some imply that the fact that California
twice passed a single-payer bill harkens well for our movement. We
need to be aware that the California constitution requires bills with
funding mandates to pass by two thirds. So the California bill lacked a
funding provision. However, the passage of the bill, twice, was vital for
movement building, but of itself was symbolic, not practical. In
Massachusetts for years we wrestled with the question of whether to
Jackie Wolf, Frank Olbris, Ben Day, Sandy Eaton, Alice Swift, include a funding mechanism in our single-payer bill. For years our
Pat Berger (Jackie Balance photo) legislative sponsors counseled us not to. For the last several sessions
we have included such a funding piece. But either with or without the
The Mass-Care group lobbied the Massachusetts funding, our bill never came out of committee, no matter how
Congressional delegation to support Representative compelling our arguments at hearings or how many prestigious
Conyers’ bill HR.676 and Bernie Sanders’ bill SB.703, individuals and dedicated grass-roots people we mobilized at the State
and warned that the rising costs of the Massachusetts House. Several years ago a delegation from Mass-Care had a heart-to-
“model” and lack of cost control mechanisms will make heart talk with the House chair of the Joint Committee on Health
the system unsustainable in the long term. We met with Care, where she admitted that nothing comes out of her committee
the aides of Senators Kennedy and Kerry, and of without the approval of the health insurance industry. In other words,
Representatives Barney Frank, Niki Tsongas, Richard single payer has been declared off the table here too. So maybe
Neal and Stephen Lynch. We joined a rousing rally of California or Massachusetts won't be the US equivalent of
over one thousand people held at noon outside the Saskatchewan, but maybe Vermont, Maine, or any of the other states
Capitol, where we heard President Obama’s former will make the breakthrough and set the example for the country.
doctor speak, as well as patients who have been hurt by
the insurance industry. Congressional Single Payer We are working hard to get Bernie Sanders' initiatives in place. The
leaders addressed the crowd, including Senator Bernie movement is hoping to get ten senators to vote from the floor for
Sanders and Representatives Conyers, Kucinich and Bernie's single-payer substitution proposal (S.703), and many are
others from Pennsylvania, New York and California. - hoping that the state-waiver piece to facilitate single payer will be
Pat Berger, Mass-Care Co-Chair included in the Senate version and survive conference. So put the heat
on Washington to stand up for this opportunity to win at the state
level. Give them some backbone. - Sandy Eaton, RN, Editor
3. UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE EDUCATION FUND ~ VOLUME 3, NUMBER 3 ~ FALL 2009
Massachusetts Fights for Single Payer Massachusetts Health Care Trust Hearing
Progressive forces, including Mass-Care, successfully HB.2127 was heard before the Joint Committee on Public Health
rolled back an attempt to weaken the Democratic Party on October 20th. Senator Patricia Jehlen (D-Somerville) and
Platform at the Springfield convention on June 6th, Representative Matt Patrick (D-Falmouth) are its lead sponsors.
preserving that party’s support for single payer. A score of diverse backers offered compelling testimony as to
the bankruptcy of the existing system in Massachusetts and the
need for the fundamental reform, single payer. Mass-Care will
convene a summit of constituent group representatives and
advisory board members in January to plot our course ahead.
Small Business Health Insurance Survey
Cambridge & Western Massachusetts
Small businesses are suffering cost increases in health insurance
premiums by as much as 25% - 40% annually. This is
unsustainable. Businesses would benefit tremendously from a
Single Payer system because they would no longer have to
manage and pay for health insurance for their employees and
would allow them to be more competitive in the market. Mass-
Care is directing a survey of the cost of healthcare for small
businesses and is identifying business people who will partner
with Mass-Care to support Single Payer reform.
A Mass-Care intern, Kevin Chithran, Tufts University School of
Public Health graduate student, has been conducting the survey
Delegates Frank Olbris (MTA) & Patty Healey (MNA) on of 150 businesses that were randomly selected from the
the convention floor. (PDA photo) Cambridge Local First membership list of 280 businesses. Forty-
five small business owners and managers completed the survey –
Mass-Care and allies fight for equal health care for a 30% response rate.
immigrants in Massachusetts as Chapter 58 (the
Massachusetts Plan) proves inadequate and not Selected results from Chithran’s initial report include the fact
sustainable. that 64% of the small business owners support or strongly
support replacing the current health care system with a single
payer plan. Only 18% opposed or strongly opposed single payer.
Also interesting were the responses to the question of “How has
the Massachusetts health reform law of 2006 influenced the
rate of your businesses’ health insurance premiums?” 78%
responded their business premiums have increased since the
Massachusetts health reform law.
A similar survey is planned for the Western Massachusetts area
including the Towns of Northampton and Amherst where three
Mass-Care interns from the Smith College School of Social
Work, Luke Mechen, Kate Kyros and Jillian Robbins, are taking on
the work. Jackie Wolf, Mass-Care Co-chair for western
Massachusetts is their coordinator. Another project will be an
education program about single payer health care to present to
college students on campus. Welcome Luke, Kate and Jillian.
Mass-Care executive director Benjamin Day addresses There are great opportunities for students to do internships for
State House press conference on September 1st, with Mass-Care throughout the year. Please contact Mass-Care if you
NASW, CIR and others represented, (Sandy Eaton photo) are interested. - Jackie Wolf, Mass-Care Co-Chair
4. UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE EDUCATION FUND ~ VOLUME 3, NUMBER 3 ~ FALL 2009
Mass-Care Needs Your Help Sing Out for Single Payer!
Thank you everyone for supporting Mass-Care and staying A fantastic folk concert was held in North Amherst on November
in the fight for true universal healthcare reform. We are 10th to benefit the education fund of Mass-Care. The concert
growing, we are being heard, and we will win! But Mass- featured valley folksingers: Tracy Grammer & Jim Henry, Charlie
Care needs your help now! King, Pat & Tex LaMountain, Jay Mankita, Annie Patterson, Sarah
Pirtle, Roger Tincknell, and Peter Blood – Master of Ceremonies.
Ben Day, executive Director of Mass-Care gave a great update on
Volunteer Talents
health care reform and a local doctor, Kate Atkinson, gave a
superb talk on the intrusion of the insurance industry into medical
We need: practice. Jackie Wolf, who helped coordinate the event with Alice
Swift, stated, “People were so energized by the end of the
1. A media person who knows how to get out a message evening that quite a number stayed after the event to keep
to the editorial boards of newspapers, radio and TV talking.” Mary Grace Farley arranged for delicious home baked
stations. goodies supplied by many of the co-sponsoring organizations of
2. A person to improve the communications with our the event. These organizations included the American Friends
member organizations, now over 100! Service Committee (Western Massachusetts), Franklin/
3. A minority person to work on healthcare disparity Hampshire Health Care Coalition, League of Women Voters of
issues including race, gender, disability, immigrant Amherst and the Northampton Area, Massachusetts Nurses
status, sexual orientation and financial status. Association, Pioneer Valley Social Workers for Peace and Justice,
Traprock Center for Peace and Justice, Western Massachusetts
4. A fundraiser/grant writer/event planner.
Jobs with Justice, Western Massachusetts PDA and the Western
5. A business person to help in starting an active
Massachusetts Single Payer Network.
“Business for Single Payer” group.
6. A website person to keep us updated with the latest
articles and events.
Funding
We are fortunate to have several committed donors who
are matching the first $5,000 contributed in this end of
year fundraising drive. Your dollars will be doubled when
you give before the end of the year. We need your
financial support to move our Health Care Trust bill
forward and continue the educational outreach needed to
get Everybody In & Nobody Out! Please be as generous
as you can. As Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Although
social change cannot come overnight, we must always work
as though it were a possibility in the morning.” Thank you
for your support!
CommonHealth, Volume 3, Number 3:
Director: Benjamin Day
Editor: Sandy Eaton (Alice Swift photo)
Production: Erin Servaes
Many other Mass-Care fundraising activities have included
Printing compliments of Massachusetts Nurses Association
successful house parties hosted by Roz Feldberg and Judy
Norsigian in Newton and John Blanchard in Natick. Plans are
underway for a benefit showing of Michael Moore’s new film
Capitalism: A Love Story either in Newton or Brookline. - Alice
Swift
