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   

Congressman John Conyers (D- MI), co-sponsored with Denise Kucinich (D- OH), wrote the United State National Health Care Act HR 676, an expansion of Medicare for all citizens. The only Single Payer, Universal Health Care Bill to be introduced to the House of Representatives, having 93 congressional co-sponsors, is now supported by 558 organized unions in 49 states and 60% of the physicians across the US. HR 676 was denied a place in the discussion during the policy debate in 2009.The public option was taken off the table, as well. Thus, the Affordable Care Act, (ACA), was rushed into passage. Conyers reintroduced HR676 in 2011 with 76 congressional co-sponsors.

 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!