National Nurses Movement: What About an Opt-Out for PRIVATE Insurance?

[FourScore]

Nurses Say: What About an Opt-Out for PRIVATE Insurance?
by National Nurses Movement
Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 04:27:08 PM PDT

Can we save state-based single-payer? Yes...but we only have the weekend!

With all the talk about the public option opt-out...nurses and many trade unionists have been hoping for the opposite: a private option opt-out, also known as state-based single-payer. The idea is to allow individual states to implement single-payer reforms. This proposal had been alive in the House healthcare reform bill through the "Kucinich Amendment," and House leadership promised a vote on it.

As healthcare advocate Donna Smith explains, however, this amendment has been stripped by the House, and we’re in danger of losing it forever. We have 72 hours to get it back in the bill.

Dozens of nurses, labor union members, and healthcare activists did their part, and crowded into the office of Representative Henry Waxman this morning to demand he fulfill his promise of allowing a vote on this amendment.

Please help keep the pressure on Waxman so that he allows a vote on this important amendment.

You can call him at: DC 202-225-4099 - Los Angeles 323-651-1040
or fax him at 323.655.0502.

At the protest this morning, Geri Jenkins, RN, President of the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, said, "There’s a reason that nurses are fighting for this private option opt-out. We see the harm and damage that private insurance companies wreak on our patients. This amendment is hope for guaranteed healthcare and we ask you to put it back into the bill."

The Kucinich Amendment could not be more straight-forward: it allows states to opt out of the national healthcare reform proposal and set up their own state-based single-payer systems. More background is here http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/10/28/798257/-Single-payer-state-option-threatened-in-House . And here you can read Rep. Kucinich’s thoughts on the situation http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/10/29/1436/7819 .

MORE WITH UPDATE:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/10/30/798952/-Nurses-Say:-What-About-an-Opt-Out-for-PRIVATE-Insurance

[juno jones]

1. K&R!

Edit to add: I will gladly pay for a public health care system. But paying anything to the private insurers who have been screwing us all leaves a nasty taste in my mouth.

And I'm waiting for numbers. Who is going to be able to get assistance and just what means testing is going to be used to determine eligibility for said assistance.

[BrklynLiberal]

2. There is an excellent goose/gander point there...

[midnight]

3. They know where the real cancer is coming from and they want nothing to do

with it.

[GreenTea]

4. I respect the nurses union certainly more than most doctors or corporate hospitals owned

by the same doctors....who always under-staff nurses for more hospital profits, pay the nurses with degrees like shit and nurses do much of the doctors work, but don't get the 'doctor is god bullshit" praise....(nor the money).

So I always listen when Nurses speak, and support the CNA and ALL Nurse's unions!!

[John Q. Citizen]

5. Keep private insurance honest? This is worth 5 public options. It's our only real insurance against

the rapacious criminal corporate insurance companies.

It's the single most critical element in the whole bill, and it's got to be there.

Call now, leave a message.

It's almost 10pm here in MT and the machine isn't full.

Thanks.