Healthcare-NOW

What’s Next for Social Security and Medicare

Since the launch of Healthcare-NOW!’s newest campaign, Hands Off Our Medicare, thousands have joined with us to say, “No cuts to our social insurance programs – we must protect, improve, and expand them.” Meanwhile, members of the Deficit Commission have been locking out workers and insulting advocates for the elderly. In response, Healthcare-NOW! has called…

The Obama Health Plan Has Serious Threats to Medicare

By Michael Lyon, SF Gray Panthers – Obama’s Health Plan is fatally flawed because it uses insurance companies to deliver healthcare, but the Health Plan also directly threatens Medicare. People talk about “the healthcare crisis,” but actually there are two healthcare crises. For us, the healthcare crisis is 51 million uninsured, stripping workers’ health plans,…

What if everyone had Medicare?

By Henry Abrons – The Census Bureau released its annual report on income, poverty and health insurance coverage in the United States earlier this month, and it’s no surprise to learn that we’re in bad shape. The number of people living in poverty was 43.6 million (14.3 percent), up sharply from 2008, and real per…

The De-Privatization of Medicare

From MassCare – Most of you will have missed a short article tucked away in today’s Boston Globe, which – when put in context – speaks volumes about our health care system. Robert Weisman reports that Harvard Pilgrim will be canceling all of its Medicare Advantage plans in Massachusetts and two other states, and will…

March for Medicare for All on October 2nd

People want more healthcare reform, not less. We have to stay strong for the single-payer healthcare system we need. This is why Healthcare-NOW! is mobilizing for the 10/2/10 March on Washington for Peace, Jobs and Justice. On October 2, we will tell the world that One Nation Needs One Healthcare Plan: Medicare for All! Here…

Action Alert: Ask Congress to Attend Important Briefing

This Thursday, September 23rd an important Congressional briefing is scheduled on Capitol Hill to address changes to Medicare–which could weaken the program–that the Deficit Commission is exploring. The briefing’s panelists will describe the strengths of our current Medicare program, in particular how it reduces poverty and health disparities, and how a single-payer, or “improved Medicare…

Medicare for All T-Shirts Available Now

On October 2nd, thousands will march on Washington, DC for jobs, justice, peace, and education. Healthcare-NOW! will be there standing strong for improved Medicare for all, and we’re working hard to have thousands of people join us. We need your help to make this march a success! Buy a new Improved Medicare for All t-shirt…

Not Just Simpson, but Entire Deficit Commission Must Go

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Katie Robbins, National Organizer, Healthcare NOW!, katie@healthcare-now.org, 330-618-6379 Kay Tillow, All Unions for Single-Payer Health Care, nursenpo@aol.com, 502-636-1551 Not Just Simpson, but Entire Deficit Commission Must Go September 8, 2010 (Philadelphia, PA) – After months of meetings behind closed doors, the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, aka the Deficit…

Disband the Deficit Commission

Former Senator Alan Simpson, who called Social Security a milk cow with 310 million tits, clearly doesn’t have the facts on Social Security if he is implying we’re all milking the system. Simpson co-chairs the Commission with Erskine Bowles, who thinks the government is spending way too much, claiming, “All of our revenue is completely…

U.S. employers push increase in cost of healthcare onto workers

A new survey shows an average worker with a family plan pays nearly $4,000 a year, up 14% from 2009. Meanwhile, the average employer contribution to a family plan hasn’t increased at all. By Noam N. Levey, Los Angeles Times – As employers struggle with rising healthcare costs and a sour economy, U.S. workers for…