Healthcare-NOW

Will Vermont’s Babies Have a Better Chance?

By Donna Smith – As Peter Shumlin was officially sworn in as governor of Vermont, there was and is great hope that at least in one state we may see passage and implementation of a truly universal, single-payer healthcare system. From Shumlin’s January 6, 2011, inaugural address: “The rising cost of healthcare for Vermont’s middle…

Poll: To Reduce Deficit, Most Americans say Tax the Rich More

From CBS News – As Washington gears up for a fight over federal spending and the national debt, lawmakers may want to consider some new polling figures. A survey from CBS News’ “60 Minutes” and Vanity Fair magazine shows that most Americans, given a set limited choices for balancing the national budget, would prefer to…

Census: Number of poor may be millions higher

1 in 6 Americans — many of them 65 and older — are struggling in poverty By HOPE YEN – Associated Press – WASHINGTON — The number of poor people in the U.S. is millions higher than previously known, with 1 in 6 Americans — many of them 65 and older — struggling in poverty…

Kay Tillow: Civil Rights, Union Organizing Mark Decades of Activism

By Berry Craig for AFL-CIO Blog – Kay Tillow, a veteran union activist from Louisville, can inspire us all as we start the New Year. “Set a stout heart to a steep hillside” is an old Scottish proverb that reminds me of Tillow, who’s executive director of the Nurses Professional Organization. She and the NPO…

Push Renews for Vermont Health Reform

By Peter Hirschfeld – Vermont Press Bureau – MONTPELIER – Advocates for universal health care will descend on the Statehouse on Wednesday as they look to forge legislative support for broad reforms to the way Vermonters receive medical coverage. A rally being staged by the Healthcare is a Human Right Campaign aims to draw hundreds…

Health-reform advocates have little to fear from judge’s ruling

By Ezra Klein, Washington Post Staff Writer – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson, a George W. Bush appointee (and part-owner of a Republican campaign-consulting firm that fought the health-care overhaul legislation), has, as expected, ruled the individual mandate unconstitutional. So why are reform advocates so unexpectedly pleased? There are two reasons, but first, let’s…

The Gift of Health

At Healthcare-NOW!, we are reminded daily, from letters, emails, and phone calls, that the healthcare crisis continues. Holly from Nevada recently contacted us. She has Parkinson’s disease and is struggling to make ends meet on her disability income. There is no insurance on the market she can afford. Without her sister’s generosity, Holly is certain…

42,000 Working Poor to Lose Insurance and Another 460,000 Out of Luck in PA

Expiration date for adultBasic? Funding source needed soon for subsidized state-run health insurance for the working poor By Bill Toland, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette – All last week, at vigils in Pittsburgh and street performances in Philadelphia, small groups of protesters all but begged incoming Gov. Tom Corbett to make his No. 1 priority the continued funding…

Recording of Discussion with Drs. Himmelstein and Woolhandler

If you missed last night’s discussion about health reform with Physicians for a National Health Program co-founders Drs. David Himmelstein and Steffie Woolhandler, you can listen to it here. [audio:https://www.healthcare-now.org/wp-content/uploads/mp3/pnhp.mp3] Download the MP3 here. Right click and choose “save as.” You can download the call notes here (.doc). You can find their bios here. And…

Medicaid Cuts Hurt At The State Level

From Huffington Post – CHICAGO — In Illinois, a pharmacist closes his business because of late Medicaid payments. In Arizona, a young father’s liver transplant is canceled because Medicaid suddenly won’t pay for it. In California, dentists pull teeth that could be saved because Medicaid doesn’t pay for root canals. Across the country, state lawmakers…