PDA: A Historic Moment for Healthcare?

[Earth_First]

There are times in American history – “perfect storms,” if you will – when forces are in alignment for the passage of a momentous reform that makes our country qualitatively better. In the 1930s, we won union rights and Social Security. In the 1960s, civil rights and Medicare.

Is this our moment to finally win Universal Health Coverage -- improved and expanded Medicare for All? Or at least wage a campaign so powerful that victory will be just around the corner?

We have a Democratic-majority in Congress. A profound crisis with 50 million uninsured Americans, and a similar number under-insured. A New York Times columnist declaring last week that the health insurance business is “a racket.” A presidential campaign in which candidates are being confronted by voters up close.

And most importantly, we now have the re-introduction of Rep. John Conyers’ HR 676: The United States National Healthcare Insurance Act -- enhanced Medicare for All.

Please encourage your Congress member to co-sponsor the bill , now -- our goal is to quickly double the current 55 co-sponsors.

Progressive Democrats of America is committed with our friends in Congress, labor unions, the Healthcare-Now coalition and nurses and doctors groups to mounting the biggest fight ever for HR 676, a single-payer system of privately-delivered, publicly-financed healthcare.

This approach has been endorsed by Consumers Union, 20,000 physicians, 232 labor unions, and even corporate CEOs tired of being fleeced by private insurance companies and their bureaucracy and waste.

• Get your state legislature to endorse HR 676. The state of Kentucky just did so!

• Challenge presidential candidates to endorse HR 676. Iowa voters recently told Hillary Clinton they backed Medicare for All.

on edit: emphasis my own

[Lasher]

1. I can get behind this

This looks like single-provider, as in getting rid of the insurance company leeches. Is it?

[Cobalt Violet]

2. My candidate supports real universal healthcare.

:kick:

[fed-up]

3. Universal Healthcare Single Payer Rally in Sacto Today-Feb 27-12:00 noon/SB 840

I'll be there wearing a Grim Reaper costume...

http://onecarenow.org/index.html
link for rally on left side of page-(Join SB 840 reintroduction rally in Sacramento 2/27 )
http://www.onecarenow.org/kuehlreintroSB840.htm

Join Universal Healthcare Single Payer Rally in Sacramento Feb 27 as SB 840 gets reintroduced to CA Senate


Dear HCA-CA and OneCareNow Supporters and Friends:

Join our Day of Action for Senate Bill 840 in Sacramento September 27.

Be a part of our continuing history as California State Senator Sheila Kuehl introduces the new and improved Senate Bill 840, the California Universal Health Care Act.

This will mark the 200th day of our OneCareNow 365 City Campaign of education and activism for single-payer, non profit health insurance for all Californians (a project of Health Care for All -- California and a growing coalition of statewide organizations.)

For our response to Governor Schwarzenegger's proposed health plan, click here: http://www.onecarenow.org/index.html

To see how you can get involved now right in your home town, click here:
http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/HCA_CA/signUp.jsp?key=1181&t=DefaultTemplate.dwt

And if you can, join us on the 27th.

Thanks for all you do:

Andrew McGuire, Executive Director, OneCareNow Campaign
Questions? Ph: 888 442 4255 xt 122

Here's the formal announcement from the statewide OneCareNow Strategy Group:

Dear SB 840 Supporter:

We urge you to come to the State Capitol on Tuesday, Feb. 27.

This year's campaign for State Senator Sheila Kuehl's single-payer health care bill will be launched, and a huge turnout of supporters is vital. With events in both the morning and the afternoon, it will be a full and exciting day!

At 12:00 noon, Sen. Kuehl will hold a press conference to introduce her new SB 840. We want the media to see enthusiastic crowds of supporters in Room 1190.

At 1:30PM, the Assembly Health Committee will hold a special informational hearing on SB 840 for the entire afternoon. Sen. Kuehl will present the case for a universal single payer health care system. The video about SB 840, "The Healthcare Solution: California OneCare", will be shown.

We want to pack the hearing to show the committee members the strong public support for the bill. To make sure you get a seat, we recommend you get to Room 4202 before 1:30PM.

It took two years (2005-2006) to move the first SB 840 through the legislature and put it on Governor Schwarzenegger's desk. Then he vetoed it. This year we are building an even larger grassroots movement to try to put the new SB 840 back on his desk by this summer.

This campaign won't be easy. There are many new Senators and Assembly Members who have to be educated about single payer. There are other health care reform bills, but the best solution to the health care crisis is SB 840.

Please get the word out to members of your organization to come to the capitol on February 27. We'll see you there!

PS: To see the video on YouTube, go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyWiVLdR47c


California School Employees Association
Donna Gerber, Director of Government Relations, California Nurses Association
Dan Hodges, Chair, Health Care for All-California
Richard Holober, Executive Director, Consumer Federation of California
Jackie Jacobberger, President, League of Women Voters of California
Andrew McGuire, Executive Director, Health Care for All-California
Jodi Reid, Executive Director, California Alliance for Retired Americans
Elizabeth Sholes, Director of Public Policy, CA Council of Churches/CA Council of Churches IMPACT
Megan Swanson, Co-President, UCSF branch, American Medical Student Association