Reply #36: Agenda and resolution

[eridani]

Attached is the Agenda for this Sunday's Annual Public Meeting at Kane Hall,
7PM, on the Community Effects of Uninsurance. Details, directions, and flyer
on our web site at http://www.pnhpwesternwashington.org

Also attached is a resolution for support of HR676 to take to your caucuses
on Saturday. Although resolutions won¹t be discussed at the precinct level,
they will be forwarded to the county level for consideration, and then on to
the state party convention for (hopefully) adoption.

Also consider the following actions:

1. State legislators in the House Appropriations Committee are now considering HB 2536 ­ the ³Working Group² bill that includes a single payer model like the Wa Health Security Trust in a comparative economic analysis of 5 models for state health care reform. The study will be followed by public forums around the state, probably in late summer. This is our highest priority legislation for the current session. To express support for this bill to committee members follow this link to their email addresses:
http://www.leg.wa.gov/House/Committees/APP/members.htm.

2. Pharmaceutical companies spend $3 billion annually to purchase
prescribing histories of physicians strictly for marketing purposes. This
practice, called Data Mining, is usually done without physicians' knowledge
or consent and is overwhelmingly opposed by physicians and patients. Data
Mining erodes patient-doctor privacy, leads to inappropriate prescribing, undermines patient safety and drives up costs.

The Prescription Privacy Bill, HB 2664, would stop pharmaceutical companies
from using the prescribing histories of physicians for marketing purposes.
To send emails to committee members follow this link from WaCAN:
http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/2723/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=2072

Hope to see you and all your family and friends on Sunday for our biggest
event yet.

David McLanahan
Coordinator, PNHPWW



8424 California Ave SW, Seattle, Washington, 98136
Phone: [phone]
Email: pnhp.westernwashington {at} comcast.net
WebSite: www.pnhpwesternwashington.org


The Community Effects of Uninsurance



• Welcome - Don Mitchell, MD - Chair, PNHPWW

• PNHPWW – Looking back & what’s ahead
David McLanahan, MD, Coordinator PNHPWW

• Presentation "2008 John Geyman Health justice Award" – Don

• Jim McDermott, US Congressman, 7th CD
Introduction - Tina Shereen, MD, Board PNHPWW

• Mike Kreidler, OD, MPH, Insurance Commissioner Wa State
Introduction - Terry Gardiner, Board PNHPWW

• Brent Asplin, MD, MPH, Director Emergency Medicine
Regions Hospital, St. Paul Minn; Vice-Chair Emer Med, U. Minn
Introduction - Hugh Foy, MD, Board PNHPWW

• Closing Remarks – Don



2008 Precinct Resolution to support HR 676


WHEREAS, each person's "pursuit of happiness" depends upon maintaining health; and

WHEREAS, a healthy economy depends upon a healthy and productive population; and

WHEREAS, the present health system leads to 18,000 unnecessary deaths every year from lack of coverage, leaves 47 million Americans uncovered and tens of millions more at risk of bankruptcy in the event of serious illness; and

WHEREAS, half of all personal bankruptcies are caused by medical bills and 75% of those bankrupted had insurance at the time they became sick or injured; and

WHEREAS, managed care and other market-based reforms have failed to contain health care costs, which now threaten the international competitiveness of U.S. manufacturers; and often force small businesses to hire part-time staff with no benefits, or to stop offering health insurance completely; and

WHEREAS, 31% of health spending is spent on private insurance overhead and other bureaucracy associated with our fragmented payment system; and WHEREAS, U.S. hospitals spend 24.3% of their budgets on billing and administration while hospitals under Canada's single payer system spend only 12.9%; and

WHEREAS, Harvard researchers estimate that more than $350 billion can be saved by replacing our fragmented payment system with a single public payer, enough to cover the uninsured and to improve coverage for all those who now have only partial coverage; and

WHEREAS, The US National Health Insurance Act which would assure universal coverage of all medically necessary services, slash bureaucracy, protect the doctor patient relationship, assure patients a choice of doctors, and hospitals and allow physicians a free choice of practice settings;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Washington State Democratic Party expresses its support for The US National Health Insurance Act (HR 676), and calls upon federal legislators to work towards its enactment within the current Congress.