![H E A L T H C A R E - N O W !
Healthcare-NOW! - 215-732-2131 - info@healthcare-now.org - 1315 Spruce St., Philadelphia, PA 19107
2
Can
We
Save
Medicare
Without
Single
Payer
Reform?
2013
is
starting
off
as
the
year
of
Congressional
deadlock
as
Democrats
and
Republicans
have
reached
impasses
on
extending
the
debt
ceiling
and
how
(or
whether)
to
address
the
federal
deficit,
leading
to
the
automatic
across-‐the-‐board
cuts
known
as
"sequestration."
At
the
heart
of
these
fiscal
debates
is
the
growing
cost
of
our
public
health
insurance
programs,
Medicare
and
Medicaid,
and
how
to
sustain
these
programs
-‐
who
is
right
on
Medicare
Reform:
Republicans?
Democrats?
Or
neither?
Although
Medicare
is
the
only
publicly
financed,
universal
health
plan
in
the
United
States
(for
Seniors
65
and
over),
Medicare
is
not
truly
a
single
payer
plan
–
it
is
just
one
public
payer
among
many
payers,
and
it
does
not
simplify
or
reduce
the
administrative
costs
for
providers.
In
a
December,
2012
article
David
Himmelstein
and
Steffie
Woolhandler
compared
the
growth
in
health
care
spending
under
U.S.
Medicare
with
seniors
in
Canada.
Medicare
spending
in
the
U.S.
has
grown
at
almost
three
times
the
rate
of
spending
for
seniors
in
Canada!
The
U.S.
could
have
saved
over
$2
trillion
with
single
payer
cost
growth!
Republican
leadership
wants
to
shift
costs
onto
seniors
and
their
families
by
raising
the
retirement
age
to
67
or
replacing
Medicare
with
vouchers
towards
the
purchase
of
private
health
insurance,
which
would
drive
millions
of
seniors
into
poverty.
Neither
party’s
leadership
has
yet
embraced
the
one
proven
way
of
controlling
Medicare’s
costs
and
guaranteeing
access
to
care
for
the
next
generation
of
seniors:
single-‐payer,
expanded
&
improved
Medicare
for
All!
Benjamin Day - Director of Organizing
California
Single
Payer
Rally
Dramatizes
Death
by
Uninsurance
With
Caskets
On
February
11
a
large
coalition
of
single-‐payer
organizations
in
California
descended
on
Sacramento
for
a
lobby
day.
Large
black
caskets
were
laid
out
on
the
Capitol
lawn
to
symbolize
45,000
deaths
due
to
lack
of
insurance.
Healthcare-‐NOW!
Affiliate
Updates
Health
Care
for
All
Texas
and
the
Houston
Area
Medicaid
Expansion
Coalition
organized
a
rally
in
Austin
on
March
5
demanding
that
Governor
Perry
accept
federal
funds
to
expand
Medicaid
to
2
million
uninsured
Texans.
Find
out
more
at
HealthCareForAllTexas.org.
State
single
payer
legislation
has
been
filed
in
New
York
with
currently
73
sponsors
in
the
Assembly
and
8
sponsors
in
the
Senate.
Health
Care
for
All
Pennsylvania
on
March
5
released
an
economic
impact
study
for
single
payer
in
Pennsylvania.
The
study
shows
that
the
state
could
save
$17
billion
annually.
Find
out
more
at
HealthCare4AllPA.org.
Healthcare-‐NOW!
Maryland
hosted
its
annual
meeting
on
March
4th,
featuring
Dr.
Walter
Tsou
as
keynote
speaker.
Find
out
more
at
MDSinglePayer.org.
Health
Care
for
All
Minnesota's
lobby
day
hit
the
Capitol
on
Feb.
12.
HCAMn
is
rebuilding
and
reenergizing
their
coalition!
Find
out
more
at
HCAMN.org.
Your
state
update
not
included
here?
Email
us
at
info@healthcare-‐now.org!
Major
Rally
in
Salem,
OR
for
Single-‐Payer
Universal
Healthcare
By
Health
Care
for
All
Oregon
-‐
An
estimated
1,000
Oregonians
arrived
in
buses
and
car
pools
from
across
the
state
to
greet
their
legislators
on
the
Capitol
steps
on
Monday,
Feb.
4,
the
first
day
of
the
2013
legislative
session.
Nine
buses
brought
health
care
advocates
from
as
far
away
as
LaGrande,
Prineville,
and
Ashland
and
the
Coast,
as
well
as
from
Corvallis,
Eugene
and
Portland.
Find
out
more
at
HCAO.org.
Divestment
Campaign
for
Health
Care
Investigates
Holdings
by
TIAA-‐CREF
By
Sandy
Fox
-‐
Healthcare-‐NOW!
and
Physicians
for
a
National
Health
Program,
began
a
committee
in
2010
to
look
at
divestment
from
for-‐profit
health
insurance
companies.
As
a
participant
in
TIAA-‐CREF
funds,
the
nation’s
largest
pension
fund,
I
decided
to
investigate
their
holdings
in
the
“socially
responsible”
stock
option.
I
wanted
to
make
sure
that
health
insurance
companies
were
not
included
in
this
fund.
I
was
very
disturbed
to
discover
that
CREF-‐Social
Choice
included
holdings
in
Aetna,
CIGNA,
Coventry
Health
Care,
Humana,
and
WellPoint.
Find
out
more
at
HealthCareNotWealthcare.us.
Don’t
See
Your
Rep.
on
This
List
of
HR
676
Cosponsors?
Call
Them!
866-‐220-‐0044
Reps
Christensen
[VI],
Chu
[CA-‐27],
Clarke
[NY-‐9],
Clay
[MO-‐1],
Cohen
[TN-‐9],
Cummings
[MD-‐7],
Doyle
[PA-‐14],
Edwards
[MD-‐4],
Ellison
[MN-‐5],
Rep
Engel
[NY-‐16],
Farr
[CA-‐20],
Green
[TX-‐9],
Grijalva
[AZ-‐3],
Gutierrez
[IL-‐4],
Holt
[NJ-‐12],
Honda
[CA-‐17],
Huffman
[CA-‐2],
Johnson
[TX-‐30],
Johnson
[GA-‐4],
Lee
[CA-‐13],
Lewis
[GA-‐5],
Lofgren
[CA-‐19],
McDermott
[WA-‐7],
McGovern
[MA-‐2],
Miller
[CA-‐11],
Moore
[WI-‐4],
Nadler
[NY-‐10],
Nolan
[MN-‐8],
Norton
[DC],
Pingree
[ME-‐1],
Pocan
[WI-‐2],
Rangel
[NY-‐13],
Roybal-‐
Allard
[CA-‐40],
Rush
[IL-‐1],
Schakowsky
[IL-‐9],
Scott
[VA-‐3],
Takano
[CA-‐41],
Welch
[VT],
Wilson
[FL-‐24],
and
Yarmuth
[KY-‐3].](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
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Healthcare-NOW! Strategizes for 2013 Single-Payer Growth
- 1. H E A L T H C A R E - N O W ! Healthcare-NOW! - 215-732-2131 - info@healthcare-now.org - 1315 Spruce St., Philadelphia, PA 19107 1 Everybody In On January 20th Healthcare-‐NOW!'s Board organized a Strategic Planning summit in Philadelphia to assess the state of the movement and develop a strategy for growing and accelerating our organizing for single-‐payer health care in 2013 and beyond. 2013 is shaping up to be a landmark year in the future of our public health insurance plans -‐ particularly Medicare and Medicaid -‐ which have come under sustained attack through federal deficit negotiations and debt ceiling talks. 2013 will also be a crucial year for implementation of the Affordable Care Act, many provisions of which will go into effect in late 2013 and early 2014. The fate of Medicaid expansions in the states, implementation of state health insurance exchanges, the individual mandate, and whether insurance companies will evade new regulations -‐ or use them as an excuse to drive up premiums -‐ are all at stake. The next two years will mobilize millions of residents fighting for access to care within the current, broken healthcare system, and the single payer movement has to be there to provide solidarity and to engage these activists in the broader fight to make our healthcare system sustainable and equitable for all. Healthcare-‐NOW! will be focusing on three broad strategies to grow the movement in the coming year: 1) Developing a Healthcare-‐NOW! Leadership Structure, which will consist of state and sometimes regional and local coordinators. HCN Coordinators will serve as liaisons to our local affiliates and spokespeople for the organization. Our coordinators will receive training and support, and will help to carry out national campaigns at the local level. 2) Increasing Our Support for Local Single Payer Organizations through improved educational materials, webinars, national actions for local groups to plug into, and trainings. HCN plans to overhaul and update its educational materials focused on policy and organizing, and launch the "Everybody InStitute" -‐ inspired by Labor Notes's Troublemaker Schools -‐ a series of regional trainings and webinars. 3) Seize National Organizing Opportunities. HCN will focus on plugging local groups into the national fights around health care, making certain that the ACA and fights to preserve public and private health insurance serve as opportunities to grow our movement! Healthcare-NOW!’s Quarterly Newsletter on the Healthcare Justice Movement H.R. 676 Reintroduced in Congress On February 14 -‐ Valentine's Day -‐ Rep. John Conyers of Michigan reintroduced HR676, The Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act, with 37 original co-‐sponsors. Organizing Picks Up In The States! State single payer groups across the country took action early this year -‐ reintroducing state single payer legislation, or joining the movement to expand Medicaid. See updates from just a few of these actions here! www.Healthcare-Now.org Issue No. 1 - Spring 2013 Healthcare-NOW! Strategic Planning and Board Meeting in January 2013 Strategic Planning for 2013! Medicare Under Attack With sequestration going into effect and the “grand bargain” looming, Congress is likely to push further Medicare cuts, with Rep. Paul Ryan (WI) trying to turn Medicare into voucher programs and extend retirement until 67, can anything save Medicare but single payer reform?
- 2. H E A L T H C A R E - N O W ! Healthcare-NOW! - 215-732-2131 - info@healthcare-now.org - 1315 Spruce St., Philadelphia, PA 19107 2 Can We Save Medicare Without Single Payer Reform? 2013 is starting off as the year of Congressional deadlock as Democrats and Republicans have reached impasses on extending the debt ceiling and how (or whether) to address the federal deficit, leading to the automatic across-‐the-‐board cuts known as "sequestration." At the heart of these fiscal debates is the growing cost of our public health insurance programs, Medicare and Medicaid, and how to sustain these programs -‐ who is right on Medicare Reform: Republicans? Democrats? Or neither? Although Medicare is the only publicly financed, universal health plan in the United States (for Seniors 65 and over), Medicare is not truly a single payer plan – it is just one public payer among many payers, and it does not simplify or reduce the administrative costs for providers. In a December, 2012 article David Himmelstein and Steffie Woolhandler compared the growth in health care spending under U.S. Medicare with seniors in Canada. Medicare spending in the U.S. has grown at almost three times the rate of spending for seniors in Canada! The U.S. could have saved over $2 trillion with single payer cost growth! Republican leadership wants to shift costs onto seniors and their families by raising the retirement age to 67 or replacing Medicare with vouchers towards the purchase of private health insurance, which would drive millions of seniors into poverty. Neither party’s leadership has yet embraced the one proven way of controlling Medicare’s costs and guaranteeing access to care for the next generation of seniors: single-‐payer, expanded & improved Medicare for All! Benjamin Day - Director of Organizing California Single Payer Rally Dramatizes Death by Uninsurance With Caskets On February 11 a large coalition of single-‐payer organizations in California descended on Sacramento for a lobby day. Large black caskets were laid out on the Capitol lawn to symbolize 45,000 deaths due to lack of insurance. Healthcare-‐NOW! Affiliate Updates Health Care for All Texas and the Houston Area Medicaid Expansion Coalition organized a rally in Austin on March 5 demanding that Governor Perry accept federal funds to expand Medicaid to 2 million uninsured Texans. Find out more at HealthCareForAllTexas.org. State single payer legislation has been filed in New York with currently 73 sponsors in the Assembly and 8 sponsors in the Senate. Health Care for All Pennsylvania on March 5 released an economic impact study for single payer in Pennsylvania. The study shows that the state could save $17 billion annually. Find out more at HealthCare4AllPA.org. Healthcare-‐NOW! Maryland hosted its annual meeting on March 4th, featuring Dr. Walter Tsou as keynote speaker. Find out more at MDSinglePayer.org. Health Care for All Minnesota's lobby day hit the Capitol on Feb. 12. HCAMn is rebuilding and reenergizing their coalition! Find out more at HCAMN.org. Your state update not included here? Email us at info@healthcare-‐now.org! Major Rally in Salem, OR for Single-‐Payer Universal Healthcare By Health Care for All Oregon -‐ An estimated 1,000 Oregonians arrived in buses and car pools from across the state to greet their legislators on the Capitol steps on Monday, Feb. 4, the first day of the 2013 legislative session. Nine buses brought health care advocates from as far away as LaGrande, Prineville, and Ashland and the Coast, as well as from Corvallis, Eugene and Portland. Find out more at HCAO.org. Divestment Campaign for Health Care Investigates Holdings by TIAA-‐CREF By Sandy Fox -‐ Healthcare-‐NOW! and Physicians for a National Health Program, began a committee in 2010 to look at divestment from for-‐profit health insurance companies. As a participant in TIAA-‐CREF funds, the nation’s largest pension fund, I decided to investigate their holdings in the “socially responsible” stock option. I wanted to make sure that health insurance companies were not included in this fund. I was very disturbed to discover that CREF-‐Social Choice included holdings in Aetna, CIGNA, Coventry Health Care, Humana, and WellPoint. Find out more at HealthCareNotWealthcare.us. Don’t See Your Rep. on This List of HR 676 Cosponsors? Call Them! 866-‐220-‐0044 Reps Christensen [VI], Chu [CA-‐27], Clarke [NY-‐9], Clay [MO-‐1], Cohen [TN-‐9], Cummings [MD-‐7], Doyle [PA-‐14], Edwards [MD-‐4], Ellison [MN-‐5], Rep Engel [NY-‐16], Farr [CA-‐20], Green [TX-‐9], Grijalva [AZ-‐3], Gutierrez [IL-‐4], Holt [NJ-‐12], Honda [CA-‐17], Huffman [CA-‐2], Johnson [TX-‐30], Johnson [GA-‐4], Lee [CA-‐13], Lewis [GA-‐5], Lofgren [CA-‐19], McDermott [WA-‐7], McGovern [MA-‐2], Miller [CA-‐11], Moore [WI-‐4], Nadler [NY-‐10], Nolan [MN-‐8], Norton [DC], Pingree [ME-‐1], Pocan [WI-‐2], Rangel [NY-‐13], Roybal-‐ Allard [CA-‐40], Rush [IL-‐1], Schakowsky [IL-‐9], Scott [VA-‐3], Takano [CA-‐41], Welch [VT], Wilson [FL-‐24], and Yarmuth [KY-‐3].