you beat me to it

also, sign the petition

terribly happy sounding at hearing my comment. I was direct, but polite. Expressed surprise that this WH healthcare summit had rejected requests from single payer proponents, noted cost savings of single payer of one sort or another, mentioned recent polling showing 65% of public supports single payer, wondered why public was being asked to support the humongous profits of the Big Insurance. I in no way impurned the president's motives or accused him of not fulfilling the needs of the people,, but did close with asking she pass on to the president that my insurer now wanted over $20K per year for my insurance beginning April.

Then the woman asked me what my comment was!!! I said I want representation and consideration of singple payer approaches to providing healthcare in this nation and asked what she had thought I'd been saying. Then she said she had noted my comment -- and somehow I didn't feel she had, actually.

Holy moly!

Just saying.

At least the person on the other end of the line got "HR 676" right -- and that I was likely to be for it, when I mentioned "single payer."

but we still need represetnatives from Health care Now, PNHP, California Nurses, et al

we said it before, but to repeat Showtime is running Sicko

Because of all your calls and emails, Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP), our ally in support of single-payer healthcare, received word that Dr. Oliver Fein, president of PNHP, has been invited to participate in tomorrow's White House summit on healthcare. He will therefore be joining Rep. John Conyers in the meeting as a strong advocate for a single-payer healthcare.

Given this development, the demonstration outside the White House that was planned for tomorrow is cancelled.

While the number of single-payer advocates in the summit will be few in number, we feel we have won an important victory and that demonstrative activity at the White House may be important in the future, but will not be appropriate for tomorrow's healthcare summit.

Remember, a clear majority of physicians and Americans support Medicare for all. The representation of single-payer at all (and future) healthcare gatherings should reflect this support. Our work has only just begun.

Please continue to urge your members of Congress and President Obama to support single-payer national health insurance, the only solution to our healthcare crisis. Please continue to organize in your community and congressional district to support HR 676.

Mark your calendars for the next national call-in day to Congress on Tuesday, March 10th. We will also ask you to fax your insurance bills to Congress. Stay tuned for details!

If you are in Washington, DC, please join us to demonstrate in front of the American Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) Conference on March 10th at 11am (Ritz Carlton - 1150 22nd Street, N.W. Either Dupont Circle Metro or GWU/Foggy Bottom Metro).

Thanks to everyone who called and e-mailed the White House about including single-payer views at the summit - you helped make this victory happen!

Showcasing the President's commitment to opening up the process and enabling all Americans to hold their leaders accountable, the healthcare summit will broadcast on C-SPAN and on the web.

Obviously they heard form a lot of poeple. You can be sure that much is going on behind the scenes for this to have happened, we just need to keep spreading the word about HR 676.

maybe it will help move Obama a tittle or tad -- or more -- to the left.

While calling, mention this suggestion from Michael Dukakis. From a post by Dave Johnson as Seeing the Forest:

Let People Buy Into Medicare Until New Plan Ready

I was part of a group who had lunch with former Presidential candidate Michael Dukakis a couple of days ago. At one point he offered what I think is a great idea. He said that the country should let people buy into Medicare at cost today, while health care reform is worked out.

Just think of the economic stimulus from such a move! Wow. Dave goes on with some listing of benefits:

I've been thinking about the benefits of this idea. Medicare doesn't have to pay any CEOs hundreds of millions a year, or give million-dollar bonuses to management. Its overhead is microscopic compared to the overhead of private insurance companies, so their costs are much lower.

So:

* Companies that provide employees with insurance could immediately lower their costs dramatically. Just transfer all the employees over the the Medicare buy-in plan instead of the expensive private insurance company plans they now buy.

* Individuals who now buy their own insurance could immediately reduce their own costs.

* Some people who cannot afford health insurance today could afford to buy into Medicare.

* Every doctor's office already handles Medicare claims, so this would greatly reduce the current overhead costs of doctor's offices.
SNIP )
Posted by Dave Johnson at March 1, 2009 2:37 PM (My emphasis)

Click on over for the rest of the good reasons. Great suggestion, Gov. Dukakis!

Mention this idea when you call...please!