Healthcare-NOW

Policing the Debate on Health Reform

By Isabel Macdonald for FAIR – ABC’s Diane Sawyer claimed (CNN, 6/22/09) the network’s June 24 forum on President Barack Obama’s healthcare plan would feature “questions from every single vantage point.” Yet, ignoring calls from FAIR (Action Alert, 6/22/09) and advocacy groups such as Health Care Now!, the special did not include a single question…

Obama Asks For Your Questions On Health Care

Please take action for Single Payer healthcare by submitting a question to the President by Wednesday, July 1. You have to upload your video question to YouTube, Twitter, or Facebook. According to the White House: “President Obama is scheduled to hold an online town hall on Wednesday to discuss health care and the White House…

Today: Tell ABC-TV to put Single-Payer on the Table

ABC News is presenting a full day of in-depth of coverage on President Barack Obama’s healthcare proposal today, Wednesday, June 24, 10pm EST. This includes an hour-long Primetime “town hall” discussion featuring Obama and questions from audience members. The ABC press release says that the town hall discussion will be moderated by Charles Gibson, Diane…

Amnesty International USA calls on Senate to Consider Single Payer proposals

Amnesty International USA issued the following email alert. To take action, go to the AI-USA online Action Center: Health Care is a Human Right — Urge the Senate to Have a Real Debate on Single Payer We at Amnesty International believe that policymakers have a historic opportunity to reform a broken health care system. During…

Health care a human right?

From The Real News – A single payer rep finally testifies to Congress; insurance industry steps up attack on any public plan June 21 – “Our decades’ reliance on the market and efforts to patch together a system to use a public and private mix has failed to carry a quality health care to all…

Action Alert: Why are Single-Payer Supporters so Furious?

Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius, said, when asked about the “public option,” “Can you say flat out that it’s just never going to be single-payer health insurance?”: “Oh, I think that’s very much the case. And again, if you want anybody to convince people of that, talk to the single-payer proponents who…

Lawmakers Reveal Health-Care Investments

By Paul Kane for the Washington Post – Almost 30 key lawmakers helping draft landmark health-care legislation have financial holdings in the industry, totaling nearly $11 million worth of personal investments in a sector that could be dramatically reshaped by this summer’s debate. The list of members who have personal investments in the corporations that…

Dr. Chris McCoy: “Dear AMA: I Quit!”

From Democracy NOW! – President Obama is ramping up efforts for his proposed overhaul of the nation’s healthcare system. On Monday, the President spoke at the annual conference of the American Medical Association in Chicago, opening a week in which healthcare will dominate attention in Congress. Obama’s speech before the AMA on Monday came just…

Really, Mr. President

By Andrew Coates, MD – The Democratic National Committee (DNC), at its Organizing for America website, barackobama.com, has initiated nationally coordinated local events in June, the “Health Care Organizing Kickoff.” Organizers will call local contacts using an “Invite Call Script:” “For decades, health care reform has been blocked by special interest lobbying and political point-scoring…

Held hostage by the health system

By Dr. Marcia Angell – The Senate Finance Committee’s hearings on health reform earlier this month did not include testimony from any advocate for single-payer insurance. Physicians for a National Health Program, which represents 16,000 doctors, asked the committee to invite me to testify, but it chose not to. If I had been invited, this…