Comments on: The Next Wave of Actions

By: Geo

Geo — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:39:29 +0000

You should think about supporting the

Universal car slowdown every Wednesday until the passage of true universal health care.

read about it here.

http://www.massivemedicalmobilization.org

(sorry if double posted but page is not indicating comment went through)

By: maureen kowsky

maureen kowsky — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:29:34 +0000

I have wanted to get either a bumper sticker or buttons advocating universal health care for months, but I have never found a source .Could you tell me where to get these? Thanks! maureen

By: Dee Ann Royce

Dee Ann Royce — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 01:17:19 +0000

Thanks for the up-dates and Keep up the good work!

By: leonard kellum

leonard kellum — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:32:28 +0000

singlepayer.org says that were gettin a weiner charade from congress (demo from ny), we have traitors in the white house, senate and congress.

By: Suzan

Suzan — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 05:45:00 +0000

We need to do this in Las Vegas NV

By: L.A. Kurth

L.A. Kurth — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 03:25:07 +0000

I’m behind you all the way! Just be sure not to mistakenly target our friends and allies (Blue Cross is one, I believe)

By: ymwiese

ymwiese — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:10:33 +0000

Thank you for your work. While 60% of Americans citizens support some form of universal single-payor not-for-profit healthcare for the 10% of GDP/60% of the bills we already pay for govt programs, with utter disdain for citizens 535 Congresspersons and a President–no difference between Republicans and Democrats–invited for profit industry lobbyists–their campaign contributors in–to write healthcare legislation that is neither healthcare delivery reform, nor health insurance regulation. Any “public option” is likely to be dumbed down, priced up, delayed, narrowed in availability to meet the industry’s request for “no competition.”
1. I urge you to put up links on this site to “follow the money”–click on a U.S. map to provide summaries of healthcare industry campaingn conributions to each state’s Congressperson.
2. I urge you to hire a PR firm to keep single-payor, not-for-profit advocates on the news shows, talk shows, etc. and “press release” factual arguments in the news.
3. I urge you to put up links that show, basically, that some 35+ modern nations provide universal healthcare for 10% of GDP–mostly through single payor, non-profit government run systems–a few with highly regulated for-profit insurance components–and compare that to the U.S.–where citizens are being mandated to prop up a dysfunctional, predatory for-profit health insurance industry and continue to squander 18% of the GDP on healthcare. A summary/comparison of other nations’ programs/costs–% of GDP and to individuals–would be helpful to confront Congresspersons.
4. Reprint articles–like David Brook’s comments on PBS Newshour–that point out that the current process is “more insurance”–neither healthcare reform, cost control, nor insurance industry regulation.
Thank you.

By: Pete Lorenzen

Pete Lorenzen — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:35:15 +0000

For-profit health insurance does not now, nor will in the future, provide our citizens affordable medical care. The reasons are numerous, but all fundamentally boil down to one item: excessive profit. A Pew Research Study finds sixty percent (63%) of all US bankruptcies are caused by medical bills; seventy five percent (75%) of which even had health insurance. American workers should not fear that a lifetime of toil would be negated due to one serious illness. A cost-effective single payer system would make certain that many avoid bankruptcy, perhaps even homelessness.

Work-place provided insurance is becoming more infrequent, and employees are being forced to bear ever greater costs. Often the coverage an employer does provide is a minimal policy; the limitations and details often unknown by the employee. Also, very sick employees frequently loose their job, and thus their medical coverage – at a time when they, and their families, are least suited to endure such a costly complex situation.

Insurance policies, in general, are complex documents. Everyday people face the nearly impossible task of understanding key points that salespeople, using sales techniques, leave unaddressed. Potential benefit weaknesses remain unexplained, and often the truth set aside in effort to make-the-sale. In short, salespeople are more concerned about making money than about providing detailed coverage explanations.

Most importantly, nothing the for-profit providers can do regulates the costs that doctors (or rather professional medical billing companies) charge. It is only by government mandate that effective cost constraints can become reality. A comprehensive single-payer system would best spread the risk, address the reasonableness (and legitimacy) of fees charged, and provide the broadest coverage.

Single payer systems are used by nearly all countries, and there are plenty of effective options to consider. The cost savings for medical care would more than offset any necessary tax increase. As such, a single-payer system would help make US companies more competitive in today’s world market.

Presently over fifty million are uninsured; however, with Single Payer, America would no longer spend vast sums of money for a system that is inadequate in so many ways. Also, given the age demographics of the U.S., and our severe national debt, immediate action is required in order to provide health care for the lowest cost. Clearly, immediate implementation of a single-payer system is a matter of national urgency.

By: Alby Chrisbach

Alby Chrisbach — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:12:56 +0000

Do the annual, healthcare denial deaths of 50,000 Americans not constitute Crimes Against Humanity by the Insurance Industry? From Wikipedia: “Crimes against humanity, as defined by the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court Explanatory Memorandum, “are particularly odious offences in that they constitute a serious attack on human dignity or grave humiliation or a degradation of one or more human beings. They are not isolated or sporadic events, but are part either of a government policy (although the perpetrators need not identify themselves with this policy) or of a wide practice of atrocities tolerated or condoned by a government or a de facto authority. Murder; extermination; torture; rape and political, racial, or religious persecution and other inhumane acts reach the threshold of crimes against humanity only if they are part of a widespread or systematic practice. “

By: marguerite kelley

marguerite kelley — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:02:24 +0000

I have too many friends being rejected for insurance. We need a march on Washington…..a huge march on Washington to make a change for health care. How can we arrange that?