House Passes Bill Averting Cut in Medicare Reimbursements

From the NY Times – The House gave final approval on Thursday to a bill that would avert a 25 percent cut in Medicare payments to doctors by freezing reimbursement rates at current levels until the end of next year. The bill goes now to President Obama, who hailed the action by Congress and promised…

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Doctor’s survey: Single-payer health care system favored

By Deborah Sederberg for the News Dispatch – MICHIGAN CITY — It was a small sample, but the response was overwhelmingly positive. In early September, The News-Dispatch published a story about Dr. Rade Pejic’s presentation to Michigan City Rotary on his support for a single-payer national health care program. The paper also carried a copy…

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Number of uninsured skyrockets 4.3 million to record 50.7 million in 2009

By PNHP – Official estimates by the Census Bureau showing a dramatic spike of 4.3 million in the number of Americans without health insurance in 2009 – to a record 50.7 million – underscore the urgency of going beyond the Obama administration’s new health law and swiftly implementing a single-payer, improved Medicare-for-all program, according to…

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August Single-Payer Update

Healthcare-NOW! is committed to educating, advocating and agitating for the universal, equitable, and humane health care system we truly need – improved Medicare for All. Find out about some of the activism that continues to build the movement: 1. See our roundup of Medicare’s 45th Birthday events from all over the country. Congratulations to all…

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It’s Simple: Medicare for All

By George S. McGovern for the Washington Post – For many years, a handful of American political leaders — including the late senator Ted Kennedy and now President Obama — have been trying to gain passage of comprehensive health care for all Americans. As far back as President Harry S. Truman, they have urged Congress…

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Healthcare Memo: Don’t Mourn, Escalate

By Deborah Burger, R.N., President of the California Nurses Assn. – There’s a fundamental lesson in collective bargaining that seems to have been lost on the White House, and those in Congress who devised their failing strategy on healthcare reform: Don’t make all your compromises before you walk in the room. For all those now…

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A Month of Single-Payer Action

For the first time ever, single-payer legislation will be debated and voted on by Congress in September. The day after thousands of grassroots activists rallied in Washinton, DC for national healthcare on Medicare’s 44th birthday, Rep. Anthony Weiner (NY-9) introduced an amendment to President Obama’s healthcare reform bill (HR 3200) to replace it with HR…

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The Policy That Dare Not Speak Its Name

By Robert Kuttner for Huffington-Post – I’m sure I’m not the only reader who noticed the juxtaposition of two front page stories in Sunday’s New York Times dealing with health care. The first article cited a new Times-CBS poll showing that 72 percent of Americans favored a government run health plan comparable to Medicare, which…

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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…

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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…

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