HR676

PNHP: even though Obama house parties a "sham," participate!

2008-12-18T09:38:05-05:00

Don McCanne, MD, Senior Health Policy Fellow for Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP), on the Obama house parties on healthcare:

Aetna says your pain is ugly

2008-09-24T10:09:24-04:00

Karen George is in extreme pain, taking "daily doses of Klonopin, Flexeril, and Lortab", but Aetna won't cover surgery to correct her disconnected jawbone, because it is "cosmetic".

Now that I have your attention, I want to change the subject from bashing Aetna.

GAC, part 1

2008-08-21T01:53:32-04:00

[GAC, part 0]

I read this stuff so you don't have to, but you can dive into the 82-page PDF too if you like. Or here's the earlier version, it's only 39 pages.

Help move HR676 forward

2008-08-15T18:24:44-04:00

And use me as your surrogate! What could be better?

Pittsburgh: National Day of Action for Single Payer

2008-06-19T20:08:32-04:00

Pittsburgh's part in the National Day of Action Against Health Insurance Companies took place today downtown in front of the Highmark Blue Cross/Blue Shield building. I was able to be there for about 45 minutes.

The good parts: perfect weather; a wide sidewalk on a busy corner with lots of pedestrians and cars; a decent sound system; good people speaking with something to say and the ability to say it briefly and affectingly; plenty of signs and leaflets; the news that Pittsburgh City Council is on record as endorsing single-payer healthcare; the Tribune-Review (Scaife's paper!) sent a reporter; the local CBS affiliate sent a cameraman.

Notes on a public meeting on health care

2008-06-12T12:57:23-04:00

For those interested in HR676 activism, I thought I'd pass along some notes I took at a discussion on health insurance/health care sponsored by the League of Women Voters at a nearby community college here in western PA. Seven people affiliated with our local group for single-payer care carpooled to the meeting. We were affluent (well, I'm culturally affluent) professional people; our driver had an Obama sign in his yard, but no horns or tail.

We were able to leave our literature next to the Obama leaflets on a table in the hall. The main event was a panel discussion moderated by a local chiropractor running for the state senate. The audience was between 30 and 40 people, mostly middle-aged to early retirement age.