Healthcare-NOW

Obama administration delaying some rules for appealing health insurance denials

By Susan Jaffe for Kaiser Health News – The Obama administration is delaying until next January its enforcement of some new rules designed to protect patients who appeal insurers’ decisions to deny or reduce health care benefits. In the meantime, the Labor Department said in a posting on its website that it will revise the…

Students Rally for Single-Payer System in Vermont

By Daniel Staples, Staff Writer Times-Argus (Barre-Montpelier, Vt.), March 27, 2011 MONTPELIER, Vt. — U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders and Gov. Peter Shumlin spoke before health profession students who gathered Saturday at the Statehouse in support of single-payer health care. The Vermont House passed a version of the universal health care bill, which is being championed…

Maternal Mortality in the United States: A Human Rights Failure

By Francine Coeytaux, Debra Bingham, and Nan Strauss for ARHP – With 99% of maternal deaths occurring in developing countries, it is too often assumed that maternal mortality is not a problem in wealthier countries. Yet, statistics released in September of 2010 by the United Nations place the United States 50th in the world for…

Vermont Universal “Fewer Payer” Healthcare Bill Passes

From the Vermont Digger – You can call it Frank. You can call it Fred. But don’t call it a single-payer health care system. That was the message Rep. Mark Larson, D-Burlington, delivered to lawmakers in the House Appropriations Committee last week and during the House floor debate on Vermont’s latest effort to reform its…

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Join the movement to make healthcare a human right by becoming a Healthcare-NOW! member today! Members receive: a Healthcare-NOW! t-shirt. invites to monthly national single-payer activist conference call. access to updated single-payer resources and materials. invites to leadership training sessions. discounted Healthcare-NOW! National Strategy Conference registration. We must continue to fight for a single-payer, universal…

Health care’s hidden costs: $363 billion

From CNN Money – A year after the passing of health reform, a new industry report revealed that consumers may be paying billions of dollars more in out-of-pocket health care expenses than was previously thought. These “hidden” costs of health care — like taking time off to care for elderly parents — add up to…

The Health Care Crisis Grows While the 2010 Health Reform Shrinks

By Kevin Zeese for FireDogLake.com – At its one year anniversary the Obama health care law is shrinking while the health care crisis grows. Americans who lack any health coverage still exceeds 50 million, over 45,000 deaths occur annually due to lack of health insurance, and 40 million Americans, including over 10 million children, are…

Video: Michael Moore & Donna Smith: Still Sicko

From GritTV.org – “Sooner or later people are going to realize that decisions about whether one lives or dies should not be predicated on ‘How much money can I make off this?’” says Michael Moore, looking back at his film Sicko with Donna Smith of National Nurses United. They both note that it’s the health…

Owensboro Area CLC Endorses HR 676, Expanded & Improved Medicare for All Act

At its regular meeting on March 7, 2011, the Owensboro Area Central Labor Council endorsed HR 676, the national single payer legislation reintroduced into the 112th Congress by Congressman John Conyers (D. MI). The council covers workers in Daviess, Hancock, Ohio, and McLean Counties in Kentucky. Donna Haynes, CLC President, stated: “We support this and…

In Vermont, Single-Payer Bill Set To Pass Health Care Committee

By Bob Kinzel for VPR – Montpelier, VT – (Host) The House Health Care Committee is set to approve a bill that sets Vermont on the path of a single payer health care system. The bill is one of Governor Peter Shumlin’s top priorities for the 2011 session. VPR’s Bob Kinzel reports. (Kinzel) The legislation…