March 2010 – Page 3 – Healthcare-NOW

On Grayson’s “Public Option Act” or “Medicare You Can Buy Into Act”

PNHP’s Response to Grayson’s Public Option Act Congressman Alan Grayson Press Release March 9, 2010 Congressman Alan Grayson, D-Fla., today introduced a bill (H.R. 4789) which would give the option to buy into Medicare to every citizen of the United States. The “Public Option Act,” also known as the “Medicare You Can Buy Into Act,”…

Last 24 Hours to Vote for Medicare for All

Recently, President Obama spoke at to a large group of mostly supportive students and local residents at Arcadia University in Glenside. The president at one point mentioned that “people on the left” want “single-payer.” But before he could add that that approach wasn’t going to happen, he found himself drowned out by cheers calling for…

If You Can’t Beat ’em Join ’em

I once worked as an adjunctive therapist in a very small private practice. The primary provider was routinely denied coverage for patients in a quite predictable pattern, and it would take insurance companies up to 9 months to pay for care provided that was precertified. As an experiment, this provider interjected actual looney tunes quotes…

Health reform needs to end fee for service medicine

by Pearl Korn – As the health reform debate rages on, the central issue of how to improve care while reducing costs remains unaddressed. Fee-for-service has reduced doctors to assembly line pieceworkers, paid by the office visit and procedure rather than by effectiveness of treatment. The result is an inefficient, costly and dangerous system. It…

No Insurance Company Left Behind

By Katie Robbins – On Tuesday, the Health Care for America Now (HCAN) coalition performed a “citizen’s arrest” of the insurance industry at a meeting of Americas Health Insurance Plans, the private health insurance industry’s leading lobbying group, in Washington, DC. Thousands came out to support this action, and rightfully so. There is no other…

Maine AFL-CIO Organizes Single Payer Education Program

One state AFL-CIO is actively trying to build the social movement necessary to pass single payer legislation such as HR 676. The Maine AFL-CIO takes its lead from resolution 34 passed at the September National AFL-CIO convention. Recently, The Maine state AFL-CIO has developed a number of materials, including a power point presentation, leaflets, cost…

Become a Healthcare-NOW! Member Today

The Healthcare-NOW! network has grown tremendously over the past year. New single-payer coalitions and groups are forming all over the country, and more individuals are becoming involved in our work. To keep up, Healthcare-NOW! must expand our capacity and resources to continue building the movement for meaningful reform that will end our healthcare crisis. That’s…

Will Jerry Brown Sign Single Payer?

From Single Payer Action – When Jerry Brown was running for President in 1992, he wholeheartedly embraced a single payer national health insurance system. “When I see in Canada that they pay $500 less per person, that they cover every citizen, and that they live two years longer and their infant mortality is 50 percent…

Kill Bill: Death to Obamacare

By Dave Lindorff for Counterpunch – When Obama came to my neighborhood this week to press for public support for his health “reform” bill, he wasn’t just greeted by teaparty hecklers. Speaking to a large group of mostly supportive students and local residents at Arcadia University in Glenside, the president at one point mentioned that…

If Private Health Insurance Companies Are Evil, Why Are You Forcing Me to Be a Customer?

By Jon Walker for Fire Dog Lake – A big part of the final push for this health care reform effort is focused on how terrible the private insurance companies are. On the White House blog, communications director Dan Pfeiffer is attacking the huge premium increases and monopoly power of some private insurers. HCAN is…