Healthcare-NOW

Former Capitol Hill Staff Hired by Healthcare Companies to Lobby Congress

The Washington Post produced a graphic on how the Congressional committees working on health reform legislation are being lobbied by people who use to work for them. According to the graphic, “nearly half of the former Capitol Hill aides hired by major health-care companies to lobby Congress during the first quarter of 2009 previously worked…

Congress Needs to Protect Americans, Not Insurance Companies

By Mark Dunlea, Executive Director, Hunger Action Network of NYS – As Congress negotiates health care reform, Democratic leaders have put the interests of insurance companies ahead of the needs of American citizens. If Americans want an affordable, quality health care system that enables consumers to choose whom they receive health care services from, private…

Obama health czar directed firms in trouble

DeParle made millions from companies under federal investigation By Fred Schulte for MSNBC – Nancy-Ann DeParle, President Barack Obama’s health policy czar, served as a director of corporations that faced scores of federal investigations, whistleblower lawsuits and other regulatory actions, according to government records reviewed by the Investigative Reporting Workshop at American University. Several of…

Baucus 13 Settle Charges

Legal charges against the “Baucus 13” were settled in a series of court hearings held earlier this week. The 13 were charged with disruption of congress after they attempted to speak on behalf of single payer healthcare reform at two Senate Finance Committee hearings on healthcare in May. Senator Baucus, the chair of the Finance…

Tell Media: Include Single-Payer in Healthcare Debate (Video)

Add your name to FAIR’s petition To address the public’s need for a “robust debate of health care issues and potential policies”, ABC recently aired a prime time town-hall meeting (6/24/09) on President Barack Obama’s health reform proposals. The forum was supposed to feature “questions from every single vantage point,” according to ABC host Diane…

Puerto Rican doctors rally at White House, urge Obama to create pilot single-payer system on island

Public Citizen News Release – WASHINGTON — The Puerto Rico College of Physicians and Surgeons urged President Obama today to create a single-payer pilot program on the island, saying it is the best way to provide universal coverage to all of Puerto Rico’s 4 million residents. Members of the organization, which represents all 11,000 physicians…

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…

LabCorp Denies Blood Test for Heart Attack Patient Due to $7 Debt

By Donna Smith OK, if this wasn’t personal enough just yet for me, it just got a whole lot more so. And if you think for one instant that in this nation at this point in history and with this popularly elected President and Democratic Congress you will be treated for a heart attack simply…

Sing Out for Single-Payer Road Show

Singer/songwriter Anne Feeney is headlining a tour throughout California, Oregon, and Washington in July to support national, single-payer healthcare (HR 676 and S 703). You can find all of her tour dates on her website, and listen to one of her songs right here. From Anne Feeney’s website: “We believe that single payer health insurance…