October 2012 – Healthcare-NOW

Canadian Example Offers a Possible Path to Curbing US Medicare Costs

By Mike Mitka for News@JAMA – While Medicare costs continue to rise and Democrats and Republicans promote various plans to curb such spending, 2 researchers suggest politicians look north to Canada for solutions. In a Research Letter published today in the Archives of Internal Medicine, the authors compare Medicare spending from 1980 through 2009 in…

Single-Payer Activists Protest Obama and Romney

From Free Speech TV and Democracy Now – Both President Obama and Mitt Romney appeared together in New York Thursday night (Oct. 18, 2012) for the annual Al Smith memorial charity dinner. Outside the event, a group of protesters including physicians and medical students rallied to call for a single-payer health insurance program.

Remembering Jerry Tucker

The single-payer and labor movements lost a hero last week on October 19 when Jerry Tucker passed away. He co-founded the Labor Campaign for Single Payer Health Care along with Healthcare-NOW! Steering Committee member Mark Dudzic. By Mark Dudzic for Labor Notes – It was the mid-1980s. Deindustrialization and globalization were becoming permanent trends. They…

Healthcare-NOW! Seeking a Director of Organizing

Healthcare-NOW! (HCN), a national grassroots advocacy organization supporting single-payer healthcare, is accepting applications for a full-time Director of Organizing. The Director is primarily responsible for developing and implementing HCN’s national organizing plan, creating outreach materials for HCN’s 30+ affiliate organizations and 45,000+ supporters, providing training and support to new and emerging affiliates and members, and…

The Grim Consequences of Closing Urban Hospitals

By Emily Badger for the Atlantic – In 1995, Philadelphia had 19 hospitals with obstetric units, places where local women – about half of them on Medicaid – could go for prenatal care and, ultimately, to deliver their babies. Then these hospitals started closing, not one or two as occasionally happens in the life of…

Romney: People Don’t Die For Lack Of Insurance

From NPR – Another day, another editorial board, another controversial remark for Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney. On Wednesday, it was abortion. On Thursday, health care. The former Massachusetts governor has said repeatedly that one of his top priorities is to repeal the federal Affordable Care Act, known increasingly as “Obamacare.” He’s said less about…

Private Insurers Profit by Ripping Off Medicare

Researchers say private programs like Medicare Advantage just add waste; Call for reformed, expanded Medicare for All From Common Dreams – New research by health care experts concludes that privately run insurance plans designed to supplement the Medicare system serve no truly useful purpose and instead of helping seniors receive better care, Medicare Advantage plans…

Health Changes Spur Test of More Part-Time Workers

By the Associated Press – The owner of Olive Garden and Red Lobster restaurants is putting more workers on part-time status in a test aimed at limiting costs from President Barack Obama’s health care law. Darden Restaurants Inc. declined to give details but said the test is only in four markets across the country. The…

Romney, Obama can do better on health care access

By Ray Stever – In the first presidential debate, President Barack Obama pointed out that his “Obamacare” was practically the same health care plan as the one that Gov. Mitt Romney established in Massachusetts. Not only is it the same plan, but it was put together by many of the same advisers. In other words,…

Post Election Deficit Deal Threatens Medicare and Social Security

The solution is Improved Medicare for All By Kay Tillow – After the November election, there will be a major effort in Congress to pass a budget deal that will make cuts in Social Security, raise the Medicare and Social Security eligibility age, and perhaps more–unless we act to stop it with a solution that…