EMAIL SIGN UP!
Most Popular This Week
- Wisconsin Bill Would Treat Organic Milk, Sharp Cheddar, Brown Eggs as "Junk Food"
- Patent Filing Claims Solar Energy ‘Breakthrough’
- Climate Change's 'Evil Twin': Ocean Acidification
- Disaster Capitalism Strikes as Hedge Funds Circle Near-Bankrupt Municipalities Like Vultures
- Ignoring Bee Crisis, EPA Greenlights New 'Highly Toxic' Pesticide
- Patent Filing Claims Solar Energy ‘Breakthrough’
- Wisconsin Bill Would Treat Organic Milk, Sharp Cheddar, Brown Eggs as "Junk Food"
- Climate Change's 'Evil Twin': Ocean Acidification
- In 'March Toward Disaster,' World Hits 400 PPM Milestone
- Ignoring Bee Crisis, EPA Greenlights New 'Highly Toxic' Pesticide
Popular content
Today's Top News
Invited to Summit, Single-Payer Group Cancels Protest
Barack Obama isn’t likely enact a Medicare-for-all, single-payer health plan. The White House Web site promises that, under the president’s proposed health plan, “if you like your current health insurance, nothing changes…”
US President Barack Obama speaks in the East Room of The White House in Washington, DC, on March 4, 2009. Obama warned Thursday that the United States would not rebuild its economy unless political leaders joined him immediately on a perilous political drive for healthcare reform. Originally excluded from the summit, single payer advocates declared a 'small victory' as two important members of the single payer leadership received invitations to the event. (AFP/File/Chris Kleponis) Still, a gesture can go a long way.
Physicians for a National Health Program, a group of docs that claims 15,000 members and supports a single-payer system, had planned to demonstrate outside the White House today over what they said was the exclusion of single-payer advocates from the White House’s health-reform summit.
But yesterday, PNHP canceled the protest — after the group’s president was invited to today’s meeting. Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), who backs a Medicare-for-All bill in Congress, was also invited.
A PNHP spokesman told the Health Blog the invitations are a “small but important victory.”
Of course, those are only two people out of the more than 100 on hand for the meeting. As this list of participants shows, the White House halls should be thick with members of Congress.
Also in attendance are leaders from the AMA and other medical specialty societies; trade groups for drug makers, insurance companies and hospitals; CEOs of companies including Pfizer and General Mills; advocacy groups such as the American Heart Association and American Diabetes Association; and unions such as SEIU and the Teamsters.
We just watched Obama’s opening remarks, which sounded a lot like what he’s been saying recently about health reform. Namely, it’s essential to the country’s economic recovery and it won’t happen unless government leaders get support from a broad base of the public. “Health-care reform is no longer just a moral imperative — it’s a fiscal imperative,” he said.
We’ll have more from the meeting later. You can also watch it yourself at the newly launched healthreform.gov.
- Posted in
Comments
Note: Disqus 2012 is best viewed on an up to date browser. Click here for information. Instructions for how to sign up to comment can be viewed here. Our Comment Policy can be viewed here. Please follow the guidelines. Note to Readers: Spam Filter May Capture Legitimate Comments...
32 Comments so far
Show AllWith so many employees being laid off in so many industries and losing their medical insurance, there has never been as good a time to implement single-payer. The employer-based medical insurance system has been obsolete for a quarter century and is the epitomy of pork barrel politics.
The fact that Obama's stimulus plan includes subsidizing overpriced COBRA insurance is a travesty. If single-payer was in place, there would be no need for COBRA to exist.
Continuing employer-based medical insurance is proving to be a death sentence for thousands of American businesses, not just auto companies. Economic recovery will not change this situation as US businesses will continue to be less and less competitive with foreign businesses that don't have to shoulder employer-based medical insurance.
“Health-care reform is no longer just a moral imperative — it’s a fiscal imperative,” --Barack Obama
...just a moral imperative? Are fiscal imperatives more important than moral imperatives? Do moral imperitives have to become fiscal imperatives to be addressed?
Is our country a democracy or a capitalism?
Seriously, you have to be kidding me.
Anyone think it kind of strange that they have to lobby and threaten to protest to get a U.S. Congressman! to be included on a moral issue of national importance?
Did these people below have to go to such great lengths?:
"Also in attendance are leaders from the AMA and other medical specialty societies; trade groups for drug makers, insurance companies and hospitals; CEOs of companies including Pfizer and General Mills; advocacy groups such as the American Heart Association and American Diabetes Association; and unions such as SEIU and the Teamsters."
I guess that answers the first four questions. What a load of bs.
At least he's listening to progressive groups, and giving them a (belated) place at the table.
Obama didn't agree to listen to progressive groups, he and the medical industry rackateers just don't want the media to photograph progressive groups protesting.
This is the same strategy Obama is using to give underwater homeowners money for mortgage payments. He knows that if they are foreclosed upon they may start camping out in front of the White House or US Capitol building. Bad PR.
Had Obama, McCain and the other bailout promoters agreed to a no-bailout policy last September when they started the bailout pipeline flowing with great zeal, we would be facing two or three years of economic hardship. The constant flow of borrowed taxpayer dollars through the bailout pipeline will assure that our economic hardship lasts two to three decades.
That money pipeline to Wall Street was a "fiscal imperative". Fiscal imperative is giving more money to people with money and power in any given industry.
Agreeing to listen to single payer advocates is good---unless they are there merely to be ignored.
The economy cannot recover with big insurance and big pharma calling the shots, and I can promise you that they are NOT there for window dressing.
I can absolutely 100% guarantee you that these corporations will give up nothing, and after the dust settles will continue raising premiums and denying claims as fast as before.
No single payer? Just don't bother me with this bs.
Interesting. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed though until the final action os passing HR 676, no watered down version please, is passed and signed into law.
Mr. President, if you really do believe in judgment day, and all that, you are in personal peril for the blank checks you wrote to the imperial godzilla past several years with the blood of one million Iraqis on your hands, among other very serious crimes against humanity. In light of this, we on the far left, the people's true political center according to truth-seeking polls, acknowledge you're throwing us a few crumbs now given no crumbs at all for eight years.
So we want the whole cake, the whole production surplus, and the political power that goes with it. We hate to see it go to waste in the mouths of godzilla corporations, entities that you embrace in decadent orgy, that T. Jefferson demanded be BANNED from existence except for temporary license on a per-project basis.
Their gargoyles will be roaming the White House during your "exploit the sick and injured" summit. And you've invited two representatives OF THE PEOPLE, Conyers and the PNHP president. We're now pushing you, as you said we should, to give Conyers what he wants. We are pushing you now to, at the very least, change this statement: “if you like your current health insurance, nothing changes…”
To this: “if you like your current health insurance, nothing changes, except you will hear the truth from the federal government about the extremely poor value you are receiving in comparison with other countries. Anyone who wants medicare as an alternative to private insurance can have it, knowing that the costs under the medicare program are ONE HALF the costs under private insurance, and dropping to ONE FIFTH as we move medicare toward the Cuban approach, basically preventive healthcare.”
That's enough for you to run on, but let the people explain that the "medicare for all who wants it" policy is merely a component of the people's overall economic revolution. The massive corruption by the elite establishment today will squash any increased value for the people as the godzillas shape-shift to exploit the people's new blind spots. The revolutionary requirement is for the people to MAINTAIN the benefits of incremental reform in the overall assessment.
You have two options for securing these gains for the people: You can use the elitist option, and personally instill fear in the gargoyles you rub elbows with, the cabal of ceos, etc, or you can get some legislation going, with plenty of publicity, that will make it official, that the people's incremental gains will be preserved in the overall assessment. This legislation will require that political power be allocated to a new department that monitors the value (according to the people's true better interests) the people get across the entire economy (public/private) and will provide the people suggestions on how to act to maintain their gains, for example, boycotting the errant sectors.
We on the far left have a lot work for you if you are up for it. We don't need your help but since you took the oath, we'll honor that.
Every one of the physicians and hospital people (and there have been several lately) agree with me that my health insurance system is byzantine. Even my secondary insurer, Aetna, agrees that it is crazy.
So President Obama is now going to replace one byzantine system with another. The man is an hot air bag and possibly crazy too.
racom40
The maneuver by Obama to cut across the stern of the 'single payer' advocates simply took all the wind out of their sails and left them out of the game. They should have been invited from the first. They were denied until it was time to neutralize them with a last minute cheap trick invitation. Unacceptable! The insurance business will keep doing what they do, skimming the top and leaving the dregs and we will not have the health care we are paying for.
"The maneuver by Obama to cut across the stern of the 'single payer' advocates simply took all the wind out of their sails and left them out of the game."
You are so right--their maneuver was not only tricky but tacky too.
Disparaging the President is counter-productive. The number of people at today's White House Forum doesn't appoximate the 'hot ticket' sought by various interest groups. Progressives should stop ... take a deep breath ... read Well-Healed, The Center for Public Integrity, online ... and try to wrap their heads around the fact that the opposition to single-payer has deep pockets and more importantly, votes in Congress.
Single-payer is a non-starter unless Progressives get smarter and start raising more money, planning better strategy, and cease engaging in unproductive hell.
"Single-payer is a non-starter unless Progressives get smarter and start raising more money, planning better strategy, and cease engaging in unproductive hell."
In other words, join the O'Dems and start imitating the Republicans. Nothing will change, but at least you'll feel savvy and productive.
No thanks. I have a better idea. Some good could actually come out of all of this.
Since it's very likely--if not certain that single-payer is off the table then the real task at hand is not to let the O'Dems sweep it under the table.
That is, this moral capitulation on single-payer can't be allowed to go unanswered as were so many similar capitulations during the Clinton years. This time it's the O'Dems who are clearly doing most if not all of the dirty work.
This time, the O'Dems have to pay a price.
This time those on the left have to be willing to make a stand. This is good a place as any to start.
Letting Dr. Fein and Congressman Conyers into the forum at the last minute was a small gesture indeed, and no doubt the vision of a mob of white-coated health care givers outside the White House gates had something to do with the decision to
allow token presence of single-payer advocates. But, it was an improvement over being ignored completely.
There's no question that our profit-based health care mess is not actually doing much to assure that people get health care. Health care is not a commodity, it is a right, and single-payer is the only proposal that does not give profits priority over people's well-being.
We who have been advocating for H.R. 676 are not about to give up easily - and urge everyone else to join the battle - tell friends, educate everyone about the system - government-financed, privately delivered - fair, efficient, cost-effective, high quality care for everyone.
Besides checking out the web (info@pnhp.org or www.pnhp.org), I recommend reading
DO NOT RESUSCITATE by Dr. J. Geyman. It's an excellent source of information about our health care mess, and how to solve it - in paperback (available from PNHP) and (we hope) soon coming out in audio format.
Pass H.R. 676 - We can do it!!
This token treatment of real progressive is remnicent of token treatment for blacks. It's sickening. When is this president going to look at the fact that the progressives who put him in the White House and much stronger Democratic majority expect him to produce and that single payer is part of the package. The band aids are out, and they are a ticket to a one term presidency. The patient (our health care) needs big time surgery, and band aids are an insult, the patient will die first. In many remote rural areas short of surgeons people are literally dying from our "wonderful" profit driven, private health insurance industry dominated health care. These are areas where people need to know those who in congress or anywhere else who back the status quo are backing the deaths of those in those same areas of this country by neglect that's anything but benign.
AD
“Health-care reform is no longer just a moral imperative — it’s a fiscal imperative,”
"Moral imperatives" among a bunch of self-centered elitists won't raise an eyebrow on Capitol Hill. On the other hand, when something becomes a "fiscal emperative", people will pay attention.
Do you remember the TV commercial: "When E.F. Hutton speaks, people listen"!
It's always about money and how much is in it for THEM.
Another step down the path of recognition by another group of petitioners that "their government"cares for nothing but symbolism in the matter of policy that is important to them.
Each of these empty gestures function as evangelism for recruitment into the ranks of the angry torch carrying mobs which will eventually burn this sorry miserable social order and corrupt culture to the ground. The sad part of such deserved punishment is that it never had to come to this. Que lastima!
Poet
"How to pay to extend health care coverage to all — a cost that could exceed $1 trillion over 10 years — left participants scratching their heads."
The elites don't know how to give the people's production surplus back to the people. Question: Do the people know how to take their production surplus back from the elites?
How about government simply creating their own debt free money to pay for it.
"cost that could exceed $1 T over 10 years": I wonder who gave taht amount when we know that Canada who started at the same level we were was already saving 25% 10 years ago.
total labor cost w'd go down, productivity increase(healthy happy people on the job), cost of drugs could be divided by 5 or more,Companies w'd become much more competitive for exports, doctors would no longer need a secretary (most Mds don't have one in Europe and GPs work 10hs/day w a basic visit at 22E in france = $29)...
Cost savings measures including eliminating for profit institutions from the NEW system unless they are willing to charge the same fees should be part of the reform.
Instead of costing $1T it sould save several $Trillions over 10 years.
The $1 T figure must be an industry figure...
All these are SAVING money
from http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/index.html
"Many of the Health Care Community Discussions focused on their aspirations for the health system, suggesting that its performance would improve if it adhered to guiding values or principles."
It's amazing that the federal government would actually post such a report. But there you have it. The quote suggests that the people are well aware of the difference between right and wrong, between self-determination and oppression. This suggests that the people should be given a much more active role in setting federal policy. The "Health Care Community Discussions" should become an ongoing general "Federal Policies Community Discussions" and become integrated into the political process along the lines of the Cuban political system.
isn't it funny....one of the BIG things Obama was saying during his Inauguration was that "the whole world is watching" -- regarding how "america" is going to do the dance, walk the walk, talk the talk, for BETTERMENT,,,,
over many things that have proven disastrously shameful...
and ONE of them is the USA HEALTH SYSTEM.
now:
in the supposed "discussion that includes everyone".............
it is strangely funny that this "includes" practically the SAME ENTITIES that have brought nothing but the very things that are SHAMEFUL about the american health system:
AMA , "TRADE GROUPS", Pharmaceuticals, INsurance companies...even UNIONS who are also basically in tandem with KEEPING the "private insurance business, WORK-BASED insurance" system (since a number of them OWE their very existence to being "the representatives of the workers" IN businesses and end up COLLABORATING with businesses to KEEP the "private and work based insurance system" alive, while really just getting from businesses TOKEN "rights for workers" that really have NO TEETH).
it is AMAZING !
it is like having the "single payer" representatives -- such as the DR that joined the Congressman Conyers --
being "let in" to a DEN OF THIEVES and PREDATORS hungry for more BLOOD to drink....
amazing what "america" is showing to the World that is "watching". ......
if BLOOD that runs through veins keeps human beings alive ........
the american "health system" is the GIANT VAMPIRE that sucks it, night AND day.
and it's on DISPLAY for the whole world to see:
AMERICA is a land where VAMPIRES RULE to prey on their own fellow americans.......ewe!
i am CERTAIN that Dr Martin Luther King, JR would be VERY disapppointed with Obama ....the congress, and everyone involved in continuing this shameful charade.
PNHP made a BIG MISTAKE! Obama doesn't support single payer, which is the only meaningful healthcare reform possible.
The PNHP should have stayed out in the cold and continued their planned protest. Instead, the group was co-opted. Did they shell out the bucks to the Obama campaign? If not, then they don't have a real seat at the table.
Obama doesn't advocate for single payer because it's pay to play. I hate to see him make fools of people with good ideas - and that's what he did.
Score:
Corporations: 1
The people: 0
-TIA
I agree. I have much appreciation for the people at PNHP but I think they and some other single-payer advocates are making a BIG MISTAKE! by focusing so closely on getting Obama to see the light and support single-payer.
I think Obama gets it already--he's just not going to do single-payer because it's not in his best political interests. Period.
Advocates for single-payer have to accept this and see Obama for what he is--a worthy adversary to single-payer.
And all the "pushing" from within won't bring meaningful change.
The task at hand now is to build an independent movement to the left of Obama as a countervailing force to "his best political interests" that's so glaringly missing in today's politics. Only within such a movement will the prospects of single-payer have a chance.
That movement may initially be "out standing in the cold" but at least it will be real and therefore the only real hope to establish a healthy political balance.
How many signatories could we get together on facebook??
Maybe we could network up a revolution in healthcare on the interweb???
Or maybe start a trade unionist page?
or.. no?
Just for the record I live in Ontario, Canada where we have single payer health care. Everyone is insured from birth till death. I have seen my doctor many times over the years. I have had an abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, two colonoscopies, a hernia repair and a few minor problems. I have NEVER seen a doctor's or medical bill since single payer health care was introduced in the 1960's. My most recent medical insurance fee is $600 for the year and the most anyone pays is $900. Granted this fee is subsidized from general and other taxes.
BUT no one in Canada goes bankrupt from medical bills.
I cannot understand why so many US citizens are against single payer health care.
Obama can Institute a medicare-type program while leaving private insurance companies free to compete w it. As my Md. said, "they'll disapear cause they won't be able to compete" IT WOULD HOWEVER BE EASIER TO HAVE SINGLE PAYER as in Canada, France etc...
Incidendly, the French system pays lower % of approved charges and private - or MUTUAL credit union style - companies do compete for various levels of coverage including for ex the cost SO staying next to a hospitalized family member or single room or "Special fees" charged by some top surgeons for ex (A terrible practice coming from greed and endorsed by the corrupt French AMA).
Usually the additional premium is paid by employer making healthcare free for all - except for dental and glasses -.
WE HAVE TO MAKE HIM DO IT: CAN"T TRUST THE MAN!
"they'll disapear cause they won't be able to compete"
That's a nice fairy-tale.
PS. If your income is less than $30,000 then you don't pay this fee.
As a Canadian now living in France I have experienced both the Canadian and French health care systems. I have also observed the health care services of my friends and family members living in the US.
Here the services include both dental and medical coverage including prescription drugs; doctors and nurses in my town still make house calls and services are prompt; my records are on line throughout the nation, and all of this at a much lower cost per capita than the fractious, overlapping and chaotic medical services provided in the US.
My visiting American friends here are consistently amazed when they observe the quality, efficiency and cost of our medical services.
Why are Americans so poorly informed about this? Or are they hopelessly indoctrinated into believing that a Government managed single payer system raises the evil specter of Socialism? As the only wealthy industrial nation without universal health care it is time to get on with it.
"Why are Americans so poorly informed about this?"
Who owns and controls all of our major information outlets? Who pays for advertisements on those outlets? Who owns substantial stakes in those MSM corporations?
Now, if only the PNHP and the Nurses Association could muster up the hundreds of millions of dollars necessary to buy information in the US, we just might have a chance of rebutting the right-wing, profit driven government we have.
During the campaign, I remember a guy who looked just like Obama say he was going to get everyone the same health coverage he had in the Senate. Wot hoppened?
“if you like your current health insurance, nothing changes…” he says. My wife and I (both retired) spent just under $10,000 out of pocket expenses for healthcare. That included insurance, medical and dental, co-pays as well as what the insurance companies didn't pay. I love our plan. It's a lot better than those plans other civilized countries have where the people pay very little if any health care costs.(that's a joke folks)
People like John McCain say that government run health care is no good - but he's been on it all of his life. He was touting how good the economy was as Lehman Bros. was collapsing. What the heck does he know?
The problem is this country is narcissistic. We can't follow anyone else's system that works better than ours. What we need is a good dose of socialism for our own good, we as a country, are very sick.