Abbott reflects on tenure, financial woes

Over the past decade, Abbott has become a proponent of a single-payer health care model, and most of his colleagues in health care administration share his views on the subject, he said. Several months ago, he attended an American Hospital Association meeting in Washington, D.C., where administrators from some of the largest hospitals in the country called for adoption of a single-payer approach.

Via the indispensable Avedon Carol: Rich, powerful corporations can break the law

California regulators admitted Thursday that for more than a year they didn’t even try to enforce a million-dollar fine against health insurer Anthem Blue Cross because they knew they would be outgunned in court.

In early 2007, the Department of Managed Health Care pledged to fine the state’s largest insurer for “routinely rescinding health insurance policies in violation of state law.”

But it never did.

That is a real good reason to not do business with Anthem Blue Cross.

Business Coalition for Single Payer Healthcare

Employers and employees across the nation are hard pressed to continue paying the escalating costs of insurance premiums and healthcare costs. A business coalition has been formed to respond to this critical issue. All business leaders are welcome to join.

Single-payer healthcare is simple. It’s really Medicare-for-all. You get sick, you get care and the caregiver gets paid. Simple works, and simple doesn’t break.

May they find many members!

I suppose this is the logical conclusion of the American Health Neglect System:

CIGNA Creating a Virtual Health Care Community

BLOOMFIELD, Conn. & SAN FRANCISCO—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Today CIGNA, a leading health service company, is announcing the development of a virtual health care community. This computer-simulated world is situated on a Second Life® island, where seminars, interactive displays, educational games and virtual health consultations help foster real and sustainable behavior change that improves health.  Read more 

Prediction — A Major Assault By The Health Insurance Industry Will Be Launched To Destroy the Medicare System Before BUSH Leaves Office  Read more 

Chattanoogan.com Opinion

I can also tell it’s an election year because once again because the notion of universal health insurance is in the news – along with the constant drumbeating and cheerleading by the mainstream media in support of it.

Put aside the ridiculous suggestion that our CCCP press has in anyway supported meaningful action, and ask yourself why the article was written at all. Clearly the VRWC is worried that something might happen. They are trying to stop it before it starts.

This is a good sign and we should be pleased. When the TV hairdos start bleating about socialized medicine we will know they are really scared.

Our biggest obstacle in the struggle for single payer are the members of our coalition who are willing to give up before they even try.

Booman

Another way of putting this is that Barack Obama would prefer a single-payer system but that it is politically impossible to get it done at the moment and he isn’t going to let people go without health insurance just because health coverage is a theoretically better solution.  Read more 

The Wichita Eagle has a letter to the editor about the alleged evils of single payer. If we are to win this fight, we need to write our own letters to the editor. You can tie your letter to a local candidate who supports single payer, or find some other hook.

Letters to the editor are one of the most popular sections of any newspaper. They are closely studied by both politicians and their press secretaries.

Letters to the Editor are a baromator of reader interest, so even if your letter is not printed, there is a good chance of influencing future news coverage.

Doctors, the traditional advocates for the medical status quo, are increasingly in favor of major reforms to the U.S. health-care system.

“The stock of the private sector has gone down in doctors’ eyes, while the stock of the public sector hasn’t,” Foldy says. “Medicare is not unpopular among doctors. The concept of Medicare for all [which is how a single-payer plan is often described] is making ideological headway. And prior to the Iraq War, the VA system made great strides as a model of quality recognized by many doctors.”  Read more 

Mike Lux writing at Open Left

I was really delighted to hear his answer to a question at the National Association of Latino Elected Officials the other day on health care.  Read more 

Matt Stoller tells us that George Soros gave $500 to Kevin Powell who is running in a primary against Ed Towns in New York’s 10th Congressional District (scroll down for map).

Not only is Towns a cosponsor of HR 676, he sits on the critical House Health subcommittee, so his support is crucial for getting this out of committee.  Read more 

General Assembly delegates endorse single-payer health care

GA delegates passed five Actions of Immediate Witness with little or no discussion in the sixth and final plenary session Sunday afternoon. One AIW, on ending present-day slavery in the fields, had passed at the morning plenary.  Read more 

Resolution to Endorse Single Payer Universal Healthcare

WHEREAS the General Assemblies of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and its predecessors have through the years called for reform of health delivery systems in the United States to make them accessible to the entire population.

WHEREAS the 1971 General Assembly of the UPCUSA called for a national health insurance “single payer” plan with the following words:

We find that our society is giving highest priority to the production and consumption of goods and to profit-making and the defense of wealth to the neglect of basic human needs including health.  Read more 

In addition to the Health Subcomittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, H.R. 676 is before the Health Subcommittee of the Ways and Means Committee, and it has also been referred to the Natural Resources Committee. The Ways and Means Health Subcommittee is the subject of this post.

Executive summary: unlike DCBLogger, who pointed out two HR676-supporting challengers in PA, I didn’t turn up any races of definite interest. There are a couple that may bear watching to see if any more information turns up. I did stumble over Pete Stark’s surprising constitutional amendment (see below).  Read more 

The problem with health insurance

Representative John Conyers has a bill in the House of Representatives to expand the Medicare system to provide affordable, quality coverage for all Americans. H.R. 676 has 86 cosponsors in the House, and has already been endorsed by 30 state labor federations, 94 Central Labor Councils, and 348 union locals and other labor organizations in 48 states.  Read more 

Health care for everyone!

So as you know, I’ve recently watched the movie, ““Sicko”, an eye opening movie by Michael Moore which talks about our corrupt healthcare system, and most importantly how we, the people can fix it.

I found a website where you can sign a petition to get this bill passed called HR 676
which is (in a nutshell) guaranteed healthcare benefits for everyone in the entire country. No more private insurers, no more going bankrupt because of your medical bills!  Read more 

The battle to save Medicare

Reader Jack Wajda, 69, of Orlando, a retired AT&T executive and financial planner, identifies the single greatest problem with the American health-care system as well as anyone. He writes: “To allow private for-profit insurance companies to decide whether and what type of care we receive is incomprehensible to me.” …

… Now, as Wajda correctly writes, taxpayers pay the private Medicare Advantage plans at least $9,000 a year more per patient than for traditional Medicare, with salespeople getting commissions. On top of that, the prescription benefit, Part D, has also been given to the insurance companies, which are earning high profits.  Read more 

Roy: Single payer system is path to universal care

At the end of a long presentation outlining new services, new doctors, new facilities and a growth in income this year at a rate greater than the growth of the economy, Dr. Kent Palmberg, the unusually savvy and successful senior vice-president and chief medical officer of Stormont Vail HealthCare, sighed and quietly said, “I’m not sure where all this is going, but we’ll probably end up with something like Medicare for all.”

He added, “I’m not sure that’s all bad. They pay promptly, predictably and adequately, with a minimum of paperwork. That beats costly fighting with scores of insurance companies, plus caring for the many uninsured.”  Read more 

MUHCC Events - June 26, 2008 at 7 PM

“Affordable Health Care for Everyone: The Single Payer Approach”

Presentation by Dr. James Hart, MD, MBA
School of Public Health, U. of MN
Thursday, June 26, 2008, 7pm-8pm
(Followed by a showing of SICKO)
At Mt. Olivet Lutheran Church
5025 Knox Ave. So., Mpls
Sponsored by MN Universal Health Care Coalition

Anyone in the Might Corrente Building from Minneapolis? Any chance of a first hand account?

The U.S. Conference of Mayors has passed a resolution endorsing H.R. 676. Good work, Healthcare-Now!

Press release here.

The resolution that was adopted “overwhelmingly”:

RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of Mayors expresses its support for The US National Health Insurance Act (HR 676), and calls upon federal legislators to work towards its immediate enactment and further urges the adoption of a process to insure that healthcare providers justify any increase in health care costs.

No mo HMO

Fifteen people gathered outside Blue Cross Blue Shield Georgia’s Buckhead quarters Thursday to protest for-profit health insurance.  Read more 

HR 676, Medicare for All, is currently before the House Health Subcommittee. Of the 33 members of the Health Subcommittee, 6 are cosponsors of HR 676: Edolphus Towns (NY-10), Eliot L.  Read more 

Sits on Wellpoint’s Board of Directors

Susan Bayh, wife of Senator Evan Bayh, sits on the board of directors of Wellpoint, a huge health insurance company. poputonian has an excellent run down of the history of Wellpoint.  Read more 

Dying for Healthcare: A National Day of Protest Against Insurance Companies and Rejections of Patients

Philadelphia was one of the 18 cities around the country hosting demonstrations as a part of today’s National Day of Protest Against Health Insurance Corporations protesting at the headquarters of each of the major health insurance corporations. Organized by Healthcare-NOW!,” the speakers and demonstrators congregated in front of the national headquarters of Cigna in Center City with a crowd of around 200 people.  Read more 

J19 Protest Against Privatization

I am now DEFINITELY for the elimination of private health insurance companies.

Protests at GHI offices in NY  Read more