Healthcare-NOW

Groups Protest Health Insurance Heavyweights

By Arthur Delaney for the Huffington Post— Congressman Eric Massa (D-N.Y.) led a protest Monday outside the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Washington, site of the 2009 national conference of America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), a trade group for the health insurance industry. “We are not radicals! We are not a fringe element!” shouted Massa, who opted…

Oregon Plumbers Local Endorses HR 676

Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 290 has endorsed HR 676, single payer healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI). The 4,000 member local has jurisdiction in Northern California, Southwest Washington and Oregon. Eric Fanning, who introduced the endorsement resolution, said after it passed: “The membership of United Association Local 290, Plumbers and Steamfitters, is fully…

Today: Mass Action for Single-Payer!

As the new administration takes on the giant task of reforming healthcare, the Leadership Conference for Guaranteed Health Care must continue to keep up the heat in support of meaningful reform and the tremendous momentum for the only plan proven to work: Expanded and Improved Medicare for All. So on March 10th, 2009, we will…

At Jefferson, Conyers backs Obama health stand

By Michael Vitez for the Philadelphia Inquirer— U.S. Rep. John Conyers. Jr. (D., Mich.) said today that President Obama won’t support single-payer universal health insurance now because he’s got too much on his plate – two wars and an economic crisis – and he’s got to settle for the health care reform he can get.…

Nurse’s insurance nightmare makes her a single-payer advocate

By Michael Vitez for the Philadelphia Inquirer— Marilyn Cawthon has been a nurse for 30 years. “All my life I provided health care to people,” she said recently. “I thought when I needed it, it would be there and wouldn’t drive me broke or crazy.” It nearly did both. Cawthon got the heart care she…

As Obama Hosts Summit on Healthcare, Marginalized Advocates Ask Why Single-Payer is Ignored

From Democracy Now!— President Obama hosted a White House summit Thursday on reforming healthcare. While President Obama said every idea must be considered, the idea of creating a single-payer national health insurance program appears to have already been rejected. We speak to Harper’s senior editor Luke Mitchell, author of the article “Sick in the Head:…

AHIP Demos Next Week in DC!

The American Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), the trade group that develops the policies that keep profit first in our health care system while leaving over a third of the population uninsured or with inadequate coverage, is meeting next week at the Ritz Carlton in Washington DC (1150 22nd Street, N.W. Either Dupont Circle Metro or…

We Have Good News/Tomorrow’s Demo. Cancelled

Because of all your calls and emails, Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP), our ally in support of single-payer healthcare, received word that Dr. Oliver Fein, president of PNHP, has been invited to participate in tomorrow’s White House summit on healthcare. He will therefore be joining Rep. John Conyers in the meeting as a…

Action Alert: Tell Sen. Baucus To Stop Pressuring CBO

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT), who ruled single-payer “off the table” before he even started considering healthcare reform, is now pressuring the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to favorably judge his health plan as financially sound–even though it isn’t. According to CongressDaily (2/25), Baucus, other lawmakers, and “some special interest groups have not been…

Sen. Baucus: We Need Accurate Numbers not “Creative” Figuring

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT), who ruled single payer “off the table” before he even started considering healthcare reform, is now trying to pressure the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to judge the Baucus health plan financially sound. Baucus held a Finance Committee hearing last Wednesday (2/25/09) at which the sole witness was CBO…