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Latest News
For the latest news, analysis and opinion on health reform legislation, check the PNHP national web site at www.pnhp.org
PNHPWW July 21st Meeting/Monthly Report
Don Mitchell led the discussion about our ultimate goal which is the attainment nationally of Expanded and Improved Medicare for All, aka Single Payer. This will be accomplished only through Congressional action. Consequently, our challenge is to determine how to convince Congress people to take such action, a major element of which is to create constituent demand for same. Information regarding the merits of Single Payer is essential but not sufficient. One of our major tasks, when we meet with constituents in many settings, is to decide on the most persuasive and effective “asks." In the subsequent discussion, several potential actions were raised (see report link below).
Martha Koester led a discussion on the substantial threat to both Social Security and Medicare benefits. Social Security Works/Washington (SSW/WA), a recently formed group formed, under the also-recently-formed umbrella organization Social Security Works (http://socialsecurity-works.org/), has formulated Principles and a Campaign Pledge. The latter, pledging to defend Social Security, will be presented to Congress people, asking for their signature.
Ken Faber described his recent experience as being a “roving locums” for several weeks in New Zealand, a country with a single payer health care system. He was there with the New Zealand Royal College of General Practitioners, and spent time in several communities. Ken has described his experiences at www.kiwisecondopinion.blogspot.com/ .
Hands off Our Medicare Demonstration in Olympia on Friday, July 30th
President Obama created the National Commission of Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, (the “Deficit Commission”) that will be meeting in Washington DC in November to decide how to reduce the Federal deficit. The Commission is packed with people advising cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security and who have spent billions to privatize and destroy our safety nets. Single-payer healthcare supporters all over the country are joining together to preserve and protect Medicare from draconian cuts from members of the Commission.
On this Friday, July 30th, at the State Capital in Olympia, the Washington State Legislature’s Joint Legislative Select Committee on Health Reform Implementation will be meeting at 9:00AM – 12 Noon, followed by advisory groups meeting from 1:30 - 3PM. This date corresponds to Medicare’s 45th birthday.
We need to say loud and clear: "HANDS OFF OUR MEDICARE!" We need Medicare for All! PNHPWW members, along with others from Health Care for All - Washington and United for Single Payer are planning a “Hands Off Our Medicare” street theater demonstration at the state capital at 12:30PM during the lunch recess, graphically illustrating the threat to Medicare and Social Security posed by the Deficit Commission. We will be meeting on the steps of the Insurance Building, 302 Sid Snyder Ave at 12 Noon. If you would like to attend and need a ride, please call 206 9636534 by Thursday evening.
This day of national demonstrations is being coordinated by Healthcare-Now. See more info at http://www.handsoffourmedicare.org/
www.pnhp.org/change
Click below to watch the single payer video montage put together and sung by BobWickline and family:
United for Single Payer
United for Single is a coalition of individuals committed to continuing to advocate for single payer as the gold standard and to work together to build and amplify our strength and impact. The focus of activities is on our representatives and building grassroots support for the only real hope for achieving health care justice.
The USP Web Site is www.unitedforsinglepayer.org
More than $6000 has been raised
for ads, events, signs, rallies or other actions.
The information You Need to Remain Up-To-Date on Health Care Reform:
Quote of the Day
 For invaluable daily current health care reform information and analysis read PNHP Senior Staff Policy Analyst Don McCanne's Quote of the Day
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Noteworthy Literature
Frontline “Sick Around the World” This PBS program by TR Reid looks at other HC systems in 5 countries and the different ways they guarantee coverage, finance HC and control costs. The obvious contrasts with the US are pointed out. It’s low-key, more of a “here’s the information & draw your own conclusions” rather than pushing a solution for the US. It’s well worth watching – you can stream the whole thing to your computer at: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/sickaroundtheworld/view/main.html
“Support for National Health Insurance among American Physicians: Five Years Later,” - Aaron E. Carroll and Ronald T. Ackermann, Annals of Internal Medicine, April 2008. A study published in Annals of Internal Medicine reports that a survey conducted last year of 2,193 physicians across the United States showed 59 percent of them “support government legislation to establish national health insurance,” while 32 percent oppose it and 9 percent are neutral. The findings reflect a leap of 10 percentage points in physician support for national health insurance (NHI) since 2002
The prestigious American College of Physicians (ACP), the nation's second largest medical association (124,000 members), endorsed single payer national health insurance as "one pathway" to universal coverage. This is the first time the group has endorsed single payer and represents a huge step forward in the movement for fundamental health care reform.
The ACP position paper “Achieving a High-Performance Health Care System with Universal Access: What the United States Can Learn from Other Countries” notes that single payer systems have the advantage of being "more equitable, have lower administrative costs, have lower per capita health care expenditures, have higher levels of patient satisfaction, and have higher performance on measures of quality and access than systems using private health insurance." .
Quentin Young on the significance of this endorsement
Ramon Bernal, Seattle's first student at the Latin American School of Medicine
 Cuba trains physicians from the Carribean, Central and South America, Africa, and the United States at the free Latin American School of Medicine in Havana (ELAM), the largest medical school in the world. Students make a commitment to return to their underserved communities after graduation. There are now 110 US student studying at ELAM.
Ramon Alejandro Bernal in now in Havana, the first student from Seattle to receive the opportunity for a free medical education at ELAM. PNHPWW has committed to support this outstanding individual as he persues his MD degree.
Ramon is in his third year at ELAM, now acquiring clinical skills and taking care of patients.
Click for info about Ramon and his monthly reports from Havana as he progresses (now 26 reports with photos)
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n, MD, is Professor Emeritus of Family Medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle. He has spent 25 years in academic family medicine. He is Past President of Physicians for National Health Program (PNHP) and a PNHPWW Board member. John has written several books that are indespensible for understanding the roots of our health care crisis, its current condition, and what must be done to achieve a just and sustainable replacement. You can find information about his books and ordering information by following these links - 