Medicare 4
all Newsletter
Why are we not “mad as hell”
about our health care system?
Maureen Gill, a
columnist for the Journal Tribute, wrote that in 1943, President Roosevelt proposed a Second Bill of Rights declaring
“freedom from want” to be an essential human right that includes “the right to
adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health.”
The United nations embraced FDR’s vision in 1948 and drafted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states,
“Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and
well-being of oneself and one’s family, including food, clothing, housing and
medical care.” The opportunity for adequate medical care is best
accomplished through a not for profit Universal Health Care system. Call on Congress to recognize that right. Join the Million Letter Campaign
at www.medicareforall.org
The ACA is a step in the right direction, in
terms of a few regulations for the insurance industry and providing care to
more people, but does not do enough to reign in the costs, nor is it true
health care reform. 27 million Americans remain uninsured until 2016 and beyond.
The policy is still about profit first, health care second.
We have the best
doctors, hospitals and health care technology in the world, but a poor delivery
system. The US spends over twice as much on health care than any of the
industrialized nations, who have some form of Universal Health Care. For the
same money spent in the US, we could have a system that covers everyone, with
the choice of doctors in private practice and private hospitals with in a
system that reduced administrative overhead. By eliminating the government’s
relationship with big insurance corporations, connected to the stock market for
investment and profit, billions would be saved. We have such a proven system
right now; it is called Medicare.
President Obama,
in his OH campaign speech said,” The free market is not for people to take what
they want no matter how they get it.” I think he was referring to the
corruption on Wall Street that brought on the economic crisis that rang around
the world. However, that could be said about the health care crisis, where
18,000 people die each year, simply, because they lacked health insurance, yet
just one insurance CEO’s salary in 2005, could have covered twice as many
people. Before the Affordable Care Act, 50 million citizens were uninsured and
50 million were under insured. While Republicans want to cut spending on
education, Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security for the poorest and middle
class Americans, the insurance industry is protected at a time the country
faces an economic and health care crisis due to unemployment and the out of
control costs of health care. There are more reasons to end the relationship
between the government and insurance companies than to maintain it.
Single Payer Health Care ~ An Economic
Stimulus ~ A Job Creation Solution
The private sector does not build
bridges, roads or sewer systems; they do not police our streets, put out fires
or teach our children in public schools. The decline in employment is due to the
cuts in government spending, on the local and state level, of the public
sector, for the police, fire, teachers, municipal worker and the like.
The Single Payer Health Care system would
save the public schools and municipalities millions of dollars, each year, from
health care premiums that could be redirected to improve education and to hire
teachers, police and fire fighters. The antiquated sewage systems, bridges and
roads could be updated, paving the way for business development. The best thing
of all is that we would be caring for the societal well-being. Everyone would
have the health care they need; our educational system would improve, as would
our public safety and employment opportunities. A Single Payer system reduces the cost of doing business in the US, by reducing health care costs for employers, which will attract jobs that re-located overseas. Part of the failure that was experienced in the auto industry was related to health care benefits paid out to retired workers and the rising cost of insuring their current employees. Employees who get laid off from jobs, also, lose the health care benefits employers were providing.
Changes brought about by the
Affordable Care Act will not address increasing cost of health care; it is just
a cost restructuring financial plan. Many employers have considered dropping
benefits entirely, opting to pay the penalty for not providing health care to
employees.
Paul Krugman, Nobel Prize Winning
Economist, commentator on MSNBC and author of, End This Depression, say
that spending is the cure to the recession. Putting money in the pocket of
Americans, either, through government stimulus to create jobs or through small
tax measures on those making over $200,000 annually, as President Obama tried
to propose. Hiring teacher, police, fire fighter and city workers who will
spend improves the economy, not austerity measures to end educational and
social programs.
The Arm Chair
Activist
Universal Health
Care is a goal worthy of a commitment. A committed person brings energy and
passion to accomplish a goal, but the
Medicare For All Campaign needs the “arm chair activists,” who are enrolled in
the campaign to do something each month. The goal of the Million Letter
Campaign is for 2 thousand letters to reach congressional representatives, each
month, from each of the 435 congressional districts. This action creates a
million dollars worth of advertising every month to let Congress know there is
a public will for Single Payer Health Care in a big way. Tell President Obama
to move FORWARD, improve and expand Medicare for all.
Knowledge and
numbers is important to any campaign. The public needs to be informed about the
Single Payer option, its benefits, efficiency and cost effectiveness. The
website, www.medicareforall.org has
all the details about the campaign and education concerning Medicare for all.
Numbers are important, because our representatives have to do the will of the
people if they want re-elected. As citizens we must provide our input on a
consistent basis about the public policy we support.
When you join the
Million Letter Campaign at www.medicareforall.org,
you will be sent a monthly email remainder, to log into the website, to
download a pre-written letter to date, sign and send to your congressional
district representative. The campaign would like to track the progress they are
having, so please sign in to join.
Keep asking for reform to be done the most efficient and effective
way!
