Friday May 22, 2009, 6:48 pm
We need it yesterday!!!

Can't somebody complete the vision and fix a broken system???

Friday May 22, 2009, 9:03 pm

Don't wait until June! I hope that everyone is joining or organizing for the May 30th: National Day of Action - Nationwide Rallies for Improved Medicare for All

Details:
http://www.healthcare-now.org/campaigns/may-30th-day-of-action/

Saturday May 23, 2009, 11:03 am
noted

Saturday May 23, 2009, 3:01 pm
June 6th: It all begins

Remember this date: Saturday, June 6th, 2009. We will look back on that day as the moment when the fight for real health care reform began in your neighborhood -- perhaps even in your own living room.

On June 6th, in thousands of homes across the country, we'll gather to launch our grassroots campaign for health care. We'll watch a special message from the President. We'll build the teams and draw up the plans for winning health care reform the same way we won the election: Building support one block, one neighbor, one conversation at a time. And we'll put those plans into action.

These kickoffs are so crucial that President Obama will join confirmed hosts and attendees on a live conference call.

Sign up today to host or
attend a Health Care Organizing Kickoff.

There's no prior experience required. We'll send you the details for dialing into the President's call and provide you everything you need to make your meeting a success.

After the election, people gathered at over 9,000 meetings across every state to set priorities for health care reform. Our voices were heard. Now the race is on to make sure Congress produces a plan that reflects the President's call for reduced costs, guaranteed choice, and quality care for all.

To make that happen, we need to build a groundswell of support in every district and every state, and we have no time to lose. All summer we'll be reaching out to our neighbors, knocking on doors, serving in our communities, and building a grassroots network strong enough to win.

These gatherings on June 6th are just the beginning of a battle between those who fought and believe in change and those who would protect a broken status quo. The stakes for our country could not be greater.

Some call this strategy pie-in-the-sky. They say we'll never have enough volunteers to make a real impact; that you need insiders and Washington lobbyists to make a difference. But you and I know firsthand how wrong they are. Starting June 6th, it's once again time to show this country how bottom-up change is done.

Please sign up today to host or attend a kickoff near you.

http://my.barackobama.com/HCkickoff



These kickoffs will be both effective and fun. You'll meet likeminded supporters in your neighborhood, share stories, enjoy good company and a shared mission, and know that no matter what this effort requires of us, if we work together we'll be ready to face it and persevere.

I look forward to joining you and the President to chart our course.

David Plouffe
Organizing for America

P.S. -- This week, President Obama asked us to send in our personal health care stories. Hundreds of thousands of people have already responded, and the stories are simply incredible. Here are just few that help remind us what we're fighting for:

I am a single parent and have lost my teaching job effective in June. I'm scared to death because my son has a serious pre-existing condition (Neurofibromatosis) and can't go without medical insurance. However, my employer has just informed me that continuing my family coverage under COBRA will cost $1,400.00 a month! That's a house payment for me. Or three times my car payment! How can I keep my family covered without going under financially?

--Cathy
Apple Valley, Minnesota

Since I lost my job in 2006, I have had no health insurance. After paying for insurance through my employer for 30 years, I have no major medical. But now that I am approaching 60, I may need insurance more than ever. I have not had a mammogram for three years because it would be too stressful to find anything suspicious. Risky but true.

--Kathy
Macon, Georgia

My husband isn't getting enough hours at his job to qualify for health insurance so we have been looking around for a provider. He has a pre-existing health condition (non-epileptic seizures) and he is being denied left and right. We don't make a lot of money, about $23,000/year and we can't afford to not have insurance, in case he needs to go to the doctor. And it looks like we can't afford to have it either. We are stuck.

--Amanda
Pasadena, California

Saturday May 23, 2009, 3:22 pm
This article is exactly correct. Single payer is the only way it will work for us.

Saturday May 23, 2009, 6:53 pm
noted thank you

Saturday May 23, 2009, 7:45 pm
Noted , thanks !

Sunday May 24, 2009, 2:23 am
Noted, Thanks. Great info.

Sunday May 24, 2009, 1:25 pm
It isn't the least suspicious that this issue isn't getting more media attention, it's who owns the major media outlets? A very few corporations. Radio, vertically integrated oligopolies. The right realized the only way to truly shape their message was to own the messenger and now they do. You have to go to independents. Even Huffpro is owned by who? The Washington Post, so it's beginning to lean rightward.

If I am not homeless by June 6 I will be there adding my voice to the only single issue organized protest available, did not say the best, the only single issue fully organized protest.

Sunday May 24, 2009, 3:06 pm
When something as large and as important as health care reformation is confronted, something that we have been taught is integral with our American system of free enterprise, there will be a battle. The battle is seen of that of Americanism -v- socialism, whether it is true or not is less important then what most have been taught to believe. I too believe that it must be a radical and complete change and half measures will only cause confusion and possibly lead to failure. All of our corporations are involved in this fight, not just insurance companies because all have something to lose--profit. Then again they also have something to gain, however few have chosen to see it from another perspective. For those who have done their own research it is obvious that single payer will not destroy health care or our country, doctors will not be reduced to being bureaucratic paupers, people will not waiting for months for needed care or surgeries but it sure makes a good fear argument. What is needed is more education about the true benefits of a single payer system and the reasons why it will not be the down fall of America and all she represents.

I do think Christy is correct in noting the lack of information coming from the main stream media, it will not be the voice for education on this issue, in fact will continue to down play the importance and focus on the so-called "voices of reason" who are in opposition. We can all act as voices of reason and education by being informed and being willing to share our information with others. Most Americans agree that a change is needed but are afraid that a radical change means socialism, so we must each act as the font for calm and reason - most important for information. And thanks Blue for the information about the 6th of June and Claudia, as always sharing information about health care and the 30th of May.

I believe we can bring about this much needed change, I think we must.

Sunday May 24, 2009, 3:21 pm
Of course the media is controlled and single payer will not happen in this country unless we kick everyone out of the Gov. Insurance is so deeply embedded in the Elite Oligarchy that at the moment it would take a revolution. They have made far too much money out of the system, they have managed to get laws passed to demand we have certain insurances and heavy penalties of high cost medical care if we don't oblige their pocket.
Even if we were to get single payer at this very moment, it would be almost guaranteed that the insurance industry would be in control of it. It is that deep.
It is like the Oil companies, connected with car manufacturers making sure we only get gas guzzlers until they can find a way to control that industry.

Sunday May 24, 2009, 3:32 pm
We need to bring back the Fairness Doctrine so OUR desire to have universal health care, single non-profit payer
will be heard at least on radio and TV.

Sunday May 24, 2009, 7:20 pm
If we are a Democratic Nation, "All men created equal" and we elect people to represent the citizens, why are they entitled to the finest medical care at taxpayor expense? They earn a good salary, they can pay their own way and we should have a public referendum on what type of medical system we need and want.
Why is taxpayor money being used to subsidize private insurance while drowning Medicare?

Tuesday May 26, 2009, 11:38 am
A new study shows that SINGLE-PAYER HEALTHCARE REFORM WOULD BE A MAJOR STIMULUS FOR THE US ECONOMY and would provide:

** 2.6 Million New Jobs,
** $317 Billion in Business Revenue,
** $100 Billion in Wages, and
** $44 Billion New Tax Revenues

The press release is here: http://www.calnurses.org/media-center/press-releases/2009/january/nurses-to-congress-expanding-medicare-could-reverse-job-losses-and-repair-our-broken-healthcare-system-and-safety-net.html

Here’s the study: http://www.calnurses.org/research/pdfs/ihsp_sp_economic_study_2009.pdf

Here is a clear definition of Single Payer healthcare:

Single payer health insurance is a system by which the health care expenditures of an entire population are paid for through one source. 



Distinctly different from socialized medicine (where the government owns and operates health care facilities) a “single payer system” is simply a financing mechanism.The government collects and allocates money for health care but has little to no involvement in the actual delivery of services. Care is provided privately at hospitals and clinics but paid for publicly. (From: http://www.singlepayercentral.com/)

It’s clear that single-payer is the solution, not only in terms of providing quality care for all, but also economically!

Tuesday May 26, 2009, 11:51 am

Thank you Claudia for your comment above (2nd comment in this thread). To reiterate Claudia's post:

THIS SATURDAY, MAY 30th is a NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION for single payer healthcare reform. There will be rallies all over the country!

Check here to see where you can get involved and what is happening in your location: http://www.healthcare-now.org/campaigns/may-30th-day-of-action/

Only single-payer healthcare reform will END THE INHUMANITY OF OUR FAILED HEALTHCARE INSURANCE SYSTEM, WHERE PROFITS ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN PATIENTS’ HEALTH, AND WHERE PEOPLE DIE BECAUSE OF IT.

Join the action in your community this Saturday, May 30th!

Wednesday January 20, 2010, 11:08 pm
It's the $132 million in lobbying, the $1.7 billion in fines, the ever-increasing rate of return for investors. Those line items would be gladly absent in a single payer system of healthcare. The complex and wasteful system of accounting, the nearly impossible task of determining what coverage you are actually receiving when you purchase a healthcare plan, largely solved with single payer. If you have healthcare, or if you don't, now is the time to stand up and voice your demand to your representatives in Congress that he or she support a single-payer healthcare system.

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