Healthcare-NOW

Subsidizing COBRA Is Not Enough–We Need Single Payer

By Andrew Coates, MD– COBRA is a law that allows you to keep your employer-sponsored health insurance for 18 months if you lose or change jobs. To do so, you have to pay 102% of the cost (the full premium plus a 2% surcharge). The stimulus package just passed provides for laid off workers, who…

Action Alert: Today is a National Call-In Day

The Leadership Conference for Guaranteed Healthcare is encouraging everyone to participate in the next National Call-in Day for HR 676. February 12, 2009: Call Congress, and the President Congressional switchboard: 202-225-3121 (ask for your representative’s office). If your member is a current co-sponsor, thank your rep. and ask him or her to stand firm for…

Americans Should Not Stand for Lock-down on Single-Payer Discussion

By Laura Bonham– As an ardent advocate of single-payer healthcare for many years, I am more than a little frustrated by Washington insiders—beholden to healthcare corporations—telling the American people that passing single-payer healthcare reform, specifically HR. 676, the United States National Health Care Act, can’t happen. The fact is they are standing in the way…

Another Poll Shows Majority Support for Single-Payer

A New York Times/CBS News poll released last week shows, yet again, that the majority of Americans support national health insurance. The poll, which compares answers to the same questions from 30 years ago, finds that, “59% [of Americans] say the government should provide national health insurance, including 49% who say such insurance should cover…

Plan Congressional Visits During Presidents’ Day Recess

Congressman John Conyers re-introduced HR 676 into the 111th Congress on January 26th. The bill keeps the same number, HR 676, as it has since it was first introduced in 2003. Because this is a new Congress, representatives who co-sponsored HR 676 in the 110th Congress need to sign on again. Plus we need to…

Walk the Halls of Congress for Single-Payer

This Wednesday, January 28th!!! Wednesday, January 28 will be a historic day for single-payer advocates. And there will be something for everyone to participate in! The Leadership Conference for Guaranteed Health Care will host a press conference to launch the national single-payer alliance in the morning and host a briefing for members and staff to…

Are they listening?

As Tom Daschle, President-elect Obama’s choice for secretary of health and human services, flies across the country to attend community meetings on health care reform, and the Obama Web site solicits opinions and health care stories from citizens, those of us who support a single-payer national health insurance program hold our collective breath. Will the…

Missouri IBEW State Conference Endorses HR 676

The Missouri State Conference of Electrical Workers has endorsed HR 676, single payer healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI). The Conference, made up of all 21 IBEW local unions in the state of Missouri, represents more than 21,000 members. The endorsement was voted at the regular quarterly meeting on Jan 13th. Michael Datillo,…

ILWU Affiliate Endorses HR 676

Reno, Nevada. The American Radio Association, the Electronics and Information Technology affiliate of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) has endorsed HR 676, single payer legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI). The American Radio Association has been representing seagoing radio operators employed on U.S. flag merchant vessels since the 1930’s. It was chartered…

New Albany City Council relays confidence in universal health care

The most expensive health care in the world provides only run-of-the-mill results. That’s how Dr. Rob Stone, an emergency room doctor in Bloomington and director of Hoosiers for a Commonsense Health Plan, described America’s health care system during a New Albany City Council workshop Thursday. He said Americans spend more on health care, less time…