The Next Wave of Actions

Tomorrow, the next wave of the Mobilization for Health Care for All begins. After over 100 people have risked arrest across the country in sit-ins in the last month, we are beginning to shift the debate about health care reform in our country. Our actions have helped to put a spotlight on the real problem – the insurance companies – and elevate the real solution – Medicare for All. And they have demonstrated the real engine of change: the determined, courageous action of everyday people willing to put their bodies on the line to challenge injustice.

Just as stories of insurance abuse and denial of care are finally being covered more frequently in the media, the insurance companies have begun openly attacking reform even more boldly. It’s becoming clear to more and more people that until we take on the insurance companies that are not just killing us but killing our democracy, we will never win real reform – Medicare for All. This is our opening. When we go back to sit-in this week we’re going to demand that they take every lobbying dollar they’re spending to corrupt our democracy and kill reform and demand they use them instead to pay for the care they’re denying. And we’re going to do it all over the country.

October 28th is the launch of the next wave of Patients Not Profit Sit-Ins. And the wave will continue until at least November 4th. Below you’ll find a list with each city, details for the action, a contact, and networking site link. Check the website for updates to the list. We’re confirming new cities each day. If you’re close enough to attend one of these actions and you’re not plugged in yet – get connected now and participate. If you’re city isn’t listed and you want to help organize a sit-in there, email organize@mobilizeforhealthcare.org with “Local Leader / Your City & State” in the subject and be sure to include your phone number in the email.

Our campaign of nonviolent civil disobedience is spreading across America, and we’re not going to stop until we’ve broken the grip of the insurance companies on our democracy and our lives.

Thanks for your courage and all your hard work –
Katie, Kevin, Kai, Julia, Lacy, and the Mobilization team

Upcoming Sit-ins:

October 28th:

Augusta, GA
When: 9:00AM
Contact: Joe Elliott, josephelliott6@gmail.com
Link: http://mobilizeforhealthcare-augusta.ning.com/

Columbus, OH
When: 11:30AM
Contact: Drew Smith, drewsmith86@gmail.com
Link: http://mobilizeforhealthcare-ohio.ning.com

Glendale, CA
When: 10:00AM
Contact: Laura Flanagan
Link: http://mobilizeforhealthcare-la.ning.com

Newark, NJ
When: 12:30PM
Contact: Carol Gay, carolgay747@aol.com
Link: http://mobilizeforhealthcare-newark.ning.com

New York City, NY
When: 10:00AM
Contact: Jean Fox, jeanmaryfox@yahoo.com
Link: http://mobilizeforhealthcare-nyc.ning.com

Rochester, NY
When: Noon
Contact: Rebecca Elgie, healthylink@earthlink.net
Link: http://mobilizeforhealthcare-upstateny.ning.com/

San Francisco, CA
When: 7:30AM
Contact: Dan Hodges
Link: http://mobilizeforhealthcare-bayarea.ning.com

Seattle, WA
When: TBA
Contact: Lila Z. pdx.lila@gmail.com
Link: http://mobilizeforhealthcare-seattle.ning.com/

Sunrise, FL
When: 11:00AM
Contact: Al Rogers, democrat.activist@gmail.com
Link: http://mobilizeforhealthcare-florida.ning.com

Virginia Beach, VA
When: 11:00AM
Contact: Trudy Serrano, trudyserrano@live.com
Link: http://mobilizeforhealthcare-vabeach.ning.com

Warwick, RI
When: 11:00AM
Contact: Robert, robert@ripda.org
Link: http://mobilizeforhealthcare-ri.ning.com

October 29th:

Baltimore, MD
When: 12:00PM
Contact: Kevin Zeese, kzeese@earthlink.net
Link: http://mobilizeforhealthcare-baltimore.ning.com

Louisville, KY
When: 10:00AM
Contact: Kay Tillow, nursenpo@aol.com, 917-621-7268
Link: http://mobilizeforhealthcare-kentucky.ning.com/

October 30th:

Philadelphia, PA
When: Noon
Contact: Jeff Muckensturm, jeff@healthcare-now.org
Link: http://mobilizeforhealthcare-pa.ning.com/

November 3rd:

San Diego, CA
When: 10:00AM
Contact: Jerry Malamud, aabs@aol.com
Link: http://mobilizeforhealthcare-sandiego.ning.com/

November 4th:

Albuquerque, NM
When: 10:30AM
Contact: Guy Watson, drguy0@gmail.com
Link: http://mobilizeforhealthcare-abq.ning.com/

Atlanta, GA
When: 10:00AM
Contact: Denise Woodall, denisewoodallksu@yahoo.com
Link: http://mobilizeforhealthcare-atlanta.ning.com/

Detroit, MI
When: 12:00pm
Contact: Precious Daniels, vincious1@hotmail.com; 313-361-4318
Link: http://mobilizeforhealthcare-detroit.ning.com

Portland, OR
When: TBA
Contact: Jim Ferner, vjday153@hotmail.com
Link: http://mobilizeforhealthcare-oregon.ning.com

10 Comments

  1. marguerite kelley on October 27, 2009 at 12:02 pm

    I have too many friends being rejected for insurance. We need a march on Washington…..a huge march on Washington to make a change for health care. How can we arrange that?



  2. Alby Chrisbach on October 27, 2009 at 12:12 pm

    Do the annual, healthcare denial deaths of 50,000 Americans not constitute Crimes Against Humanity by the Insurance Industry? From Wikipedia: “Crimes against humanity, as defined by the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court Explanatory Memorandum, “are particularly odious offences in that they constitute a serious attack on human dignity or grave humiliation or a degradation of one or more human beings. They are not isolated or sporadic events, but are part either of a government policy (although the perpetrators need not identify themselves with this policy) or of a wide practice of atrocities tolerated or condoned by a government or a de facto authority. Murder; extermination; torture; rape and political, racial, or religious persecution and other inhumane acts reach the threshold of crimes against humanity only if they are part of a widespread or systematic practice. “



  3. Pete Lorenzen on October 27, 2009 at 12:35 pm

    For-profit health insurance does not now, nor will in the future, provide our citizens affordable medical care. The reasons are numerous, but all fundamentally boil down to one item: excessive profit. A Pew Research Study finds sixty percent (63%) of all US bankruptcies are caused by medical bills; seventy five percent (75%) of which even had health insurance. American workers should not fear that a lifetime of toil would be negated due to one serious illness. A cost-effective single payer system would make certain that many avoid bankruptcy, perhaps even homelessness.

    Work-place provided insurance is becoming more infrequent, and employees are being forced to bear ever greater costs. Often the coverage an employer does provide is a minimal policy; the limitations and details often unknown by the employee. Also, very sick employees frequently loose their job, and thus their medical coverage – at a time when they, and their families, are least suited to endure such a costly complex situation.

    Insurance policies, in general, are complex documents. Everyday people face the nearly impossible task of understanding key points that salespeople, using sales techniques, leave unaddressed. Potential benefit weaknesses remain unexplained, and often the truth set aside in effort to make-the-sale. In short, salespeople are more concerned about making money than about providing detailed coverage explanations.

    Most importantly, nothing the for-profit providers can do regulates the costs that doctors (or rather professional medical billing companies) charge. It is only by government mandate that effective cost constraints can become reality. A comprehensive single-payer system would best spread the risk, address the reasonableness (and legitimacy) of fees charged, and provide the broadest coverage.

    Single payer systems are used by nearly all countries, and there are plenty of effective options to consider. The cost savings for medical care would more than offset any necessary tax increase. As such, a single-payer system would help make US companies more competitive in today’s world market.

    Presently over fifty million are uninsured; however, with Single Payer, America would no longer spend vast sums of money for a system that is inadequate in so many ways. Also, given the age demographics of the U.S., and our severe national debt, immediate action is required in order to provide health care for the lowest cost. Clearly, immediate implementation of a single-payer system is a matter of national urgency.



  4. ymwiese on October 27, 2009 at 2:10 pm

    Thank you for your work. While 60% of Americans citizens support some form of universal single-payor not-for-profit healthcare for the 10% of GDP/60% of the bills we already pay for govt programs, with utter disdain for citizens 535 Congresspersons and a President–no difference between Republicans and Democrats–invited for profit industry lobbyists–their campaign contributors in–to write healthcare legislation that is neither healthcare delivery reform, nor health insurance regulation. Any “public option” is likely to be dumbed down, priced up, delayed, narrowed in availability to meet the industry’s request for “no competition.”
    1. I urge you to put up links on this site to “follow the money”–click on a U.S. map to provide summaries of healthcare industry campaingn conributions to each state’s Congressperson.
    2. I urge you to hire a PR firm to keep single-payor, not-for-profit advocates on the news shows, talk shows, etc. and “press release” factual arguments in the news.
    3. I urge you to put up links that show, basically, that some 35+ modern nations provide universal healthcare for 10% of GDP–mostly through single payor, non-profit government run systems–a few with highly regulated for-profit insurance components–and compare that to the U.S.–where citizens are being mandated to prop up a dysfunctional, predatory for-profit health insurance industry and continue to squander 18% of the GDP on healthcare. A summary/comparison of other nations’ programs/costs–% of GDP and to individuals–would be helpful to confront Congresspersons.
    4. Reprint articles–like David Brook’s comments on PBS Newshour–that point out that the current process is “more insurance”–neither healthcare reform, cost control, nor insurance industry regulation.
    Thank you.



  5. L.A. Kurth on October 27, 2009 at 11:25 pm

    I’m behind you all the way! Just be sure not to mistakenly target our friends and allies (Blue Cross is one, I believe)



  6. Suzan on October 28, 2009 at 1:45 am

    We need to do this in Las Vegas NV



  7. leonard kellum on October 28, 2009 at 8:32 am

    singlepayer.org says that were gettin a weiner charade from congress (demo from ny), we have traitors in the white house, senate and congress.



  8. Dee Ann Royce on October 28, 2009 at 9:17 pm

    Thanks for the up-dates and Keep up the good work!



  9. maureen kowsky on October 29, 2009 at 4:29 pm

    I have wanted to get either a bumper sticker or buttons advocating universal health care for months, but I have never found a source .Could you tell me where to get these? Thanks! maureen



  10. Geo on December 3, 2009 at 8:39 pm

    You should think about supporting the

    Universal car slowdown every Wednesday until the passage of true universal health care.

    read about it here.

    http://www.massivemedicalmobilization.org

    (sorry if double posted but page is not indicating comment went through)