The Contraception Debate

We don't need any more barriers between a doctor and patient. The fewer, the more efficient, the better. The thing about this contraception controversy is that it wouldn't even have been an issue under a single payer system.

The well-said perspective of a health provider:
The Contraception Controversy as Seen Through a Doctor's Lens

Reining in the Budget (a truly serious approach)

A good article about discretionary spending, federal debt, and how health care costs factor into all this.

I think the graph below from the CBO (Congressional Budget Office) explains it rather clearly.

We cannot fix the government deficit without first fixing healthcare. And no, Social Security is not a big issue. So when politicians keep hammering away at being "fiscally responsible," what they usually want to cut doesn't actually make an inch of difference in the long run, and in some cases, can actually make things worse long-term. Tackling health care costs is the only way to do it. And single-payer is the best method.

SB810 will live on

Senate Bill 810 has officially died... for now. With the conclusion of the Senate session, SB 810 went quietly, with no re-vote taken. We can only blame the Democratic senators who didn't vote "yes" when it was put up for a vote, and shame them for not pushing good legislation forward--especially legislation that would benefit their constituents. Shame on them for believing all the nay say about how expensive the bill is and worrying about less $$ flowing into their campaign coffers from insurance companies. That's basically blood money, in my opinion. For all the Republicans that voted no (ALL Republicans, in fact), shame on them for not understanding that the US Chamber of Commerce does NOT have the backs of small businesses and for not understanding basic economics. How many studies (not funded by partisan think-tanks) have to be published saying that universal healthcare systems WORK, SAVE MONEY, and have BETTER HEALTH OUTCOMES before politicians will vote for it? How many dollars will our state (and nation!) waste away before we realize that the only way to put our state on stable financial ground is to deal with healthcare? How many people have to die??

I suppose this could turn into a rather lengthy rant on politics in general, but I'll just repeat what Chris Brown, our Southern California President said in an email to all of us: "It's sad that the ACA will most disproportionately affect Latinos negatively out of other ethnic groups (Latinos are the majority of uninsured in California currently) yet Correa and Calderón, representing heavily Latino areas (Santa Ana--the city with the highest percentage of monolingual Spanish speakers in the US, and Montebello, respectively), voted NO on SB810, which we all know would provide healthcare to ALL Californians." Rubio, Padilla, and Vargas are also of Latino extraction. It's something to think about.

Legislative Action needed TODAY!

Call Senators Wright, Vargas, Rubio, Calderon, and Padilla TODAY to ask them to vote in favor of SB810! It's critical that this is done today--otherwise SB810 will die in the Senate! We need just TWO "yes" votes out of the 5 listed to move this into the Assembly!

Alex Padilla (Pacoima/LA area)
Capitol – 916-651-4020
District – 818-901-5588
Rod Wright (Los Angeles area)
(916) 651-4025
(310) 412-0393
Juan Vargas (San Diego area)
Sac: (916) 651-4040
Dist: (619) 409-7690
Michael Rubio (Fresno/Bakersfield area)
Sac: (916) 651-4016
Dist: (661) 395-2620
Ron Calderon (Los Angeles area)
Sac: (916) 651-4030
Dist: (323) 890-2790

2012 CaHPSA Lobby Day for Single Payer Healthcare

If you are a concerned citizen, come join our rally Jan 9th noon at the steps of state capitol!

If you are a concerned health professional student, come join our Lobby Day effort Jan 8th and 9th! Register here

More info for students:

Relevance to Your Healthcare Career: Why should you come?!?!

This timely event will bring together about 500 health professional students from throughout The Golden State in order to become involved in healthcare reform discussions and engage in the public policy process. This is the sixth year in a row that we will be advocating directly with State legislators in Sacramento for a healthcare program that covers ALL Californians! 

The two-day event includes:

Student Leadership Training Day (Jan. 8): Training Day features collaboration between health professional student leaders, health professionals, public officials and health policy experts. Participants will learn how to become effective advocates for a just healthcare system in California.

Day of ACTION! (Jan 9): The day begins with a march through downtown Sacramento to the steps of the state Capitol. We will be joined at a rally of the steps of the Capitol by community members from around the state who have come to support our cause. The day culminates with an afternoon of meetings with elected officials with your well prepared legislative team! 

Enjoy this exciting and dynamic conference to learn about Single Payer Healthcare and CA Senate Bill 810 (SB 810), the California Universal Healthcare Act.

Learn what SB 810 will provide for future healthcare providers and their patients. Speakers will present on the 2010 Affordable Care Act and the need for continued healthcare reform. SB 810 is the key to improving the health and finances of all Californians. Join the movement that makes it a reality! Our communities and legislators need to know how the future of healthcare feels about health reform!

A Poetic Entreaty to Michael Moore

Dear Mr. Moore,

We cannot endure.

When insurance goes up

Our health’s in a rut,

We need something more pure.
 

Dear Mr. Moore,

One payer is needed in cure.

All people are in

Nobody’s left out,

This we need to secure.
 

Dear Mr. Moore,

We need your help for sure.

When media’s called

Our releases are balled,

Treated like manure.
 

Dear Mr. Moore,

We know you have allure.

When you come around

Press is like a hound!

You’re definitely not obscure.
 

Dear Mr. Moore,

We know we’re a detour.

But to get money out

of political clout,

We need to make this de jure.
 

We declare,

Universal Healthcare

The only good, fair

Way to repair

Our nation’s weird err.

 

Please join the hundreds of us who will be there at the steps of the CA State Capitol Building in Sacramento January 9th at noon! HELP US pass Senate Bill SB 810 - The CA Universal Healthcare Act!!

Let's keep an eye on this one...

Montana Governor Seeks Waiver to Establish Single-Payer
That's right, Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer announced that he is planning to ask the federal government for a waiver in order to establish a single-payer plan. Though there is no actual proposal on the table yet (is this a true single-payer setup? how is it funded?) it is definitely heartening to see that this is being taken on in states that aren't overwhelmingly Democratic (Montana is typically considered a swing state; John McCain narrowly won in 2008). As medical costs keep ballooning in this economy and as healthcare spending keep rising as a measure of GDP (in spite of PPACA), it's only a matter of time before both red and blue states everywhere start entertaining single-payer as a real option.

"An Outpouring of Reaction" and One of Our Own

Indeed, single-payer is alive and kicking. One letter to the editor triggered a remarkable flood of responses, largely in support of single-payer.  Aside from that, a letter from PNHP's (our parent nonprofit, of sorts) Molly Tavella is featured in the dialogue. You tell 'em!

Read the conversation here:  NYTimes - Letter to the editor inspires dialogue on health care

Public Option Not Quite Dead in CA?

Health care measure seeks public option, rollbacks - SF Gate

This is definitely a step forward. There's a lot to be done in order to actually "fix" the health care system as we know it now (though I don't think it could even reasonably be considered a "system"... system is a singular term, what we have now is a fragmented plurality of different interests), but this is significant for all Californians.

The intended ballot measure would basically cut all health insurance rates by 20%, allow for stronger oversight of premiums, and provide for a "public option"-- a non-for-profit, government-run health insurance option designed to compete with the private sector. The logic is that the public option would slow the growth of health care premiums in the private sector by such competition.

But what about single-payer? Maybe because it was never on the table in the national health care law negotiations, so people have simply ignored it. Single-payer health care isn't incremental-- it's a fundamental reform of health care. It is the most equitable and economically sound policy solution to both our nation's rising health care costs and the rising ranks of uninsured. By taking corporate profit out of the equation, you instead ensure money goes toward the actual provision of care. By keeping the current structureless health insurance industry in place there is no guarantee of that happening. Do you know how much money they have with which to lobby? (Hint: enough money to take the option of single-payer off the table entirely.)

Now why is this public option proposal getting attention? Probably because people now know what a public option is as a result of the national debates, few people know much about single-payer, and even fewer people know that there's actually a bill in the CA Legislature right now that would establish single-payer in California. And it's been passed twice, only to suffer the vetoes of our last governor (look up SB 810). Admittedly, the soonest reality of single-payer is still a number of years in the future, considering the current political climate and all budgetary concerns.

But hey. The public option is likely a more politically palatable measure. Although it wouldn't have the same scope of reform as single-payer, it is a proposal that is being funded and has a chance of succeeding in the near future. Shaving 20% off premiums does sound mighty nice, doesn't it? Alas, that would only put us back a couple years in premium levels. But it would be better than nothing; we should pay attention to this one.

Here's another article about it: Consumer Group Pushes Public Insurance Option For State Ballot