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Healthcare: * Single Payer Efforts Excluded, Nurses Arrested * Analyzing "Voluntary Efforts"
WASHINGTON - May 12 - ROSE ANN DeMORO, CHARLES IDELSON [now in D.C.]
SHUM PRESTON
Rose Ann DeMoro is president of the National Nurses Organizing Committee/California Nurses Association. Idelson and Preston are spokespersons for NNOC/CNA, which just released a statement: "Registered nurses, physicians and healthcare activists delivered an emphatic protest before the Senate Finance Committee for its failure to open discussion on healthcare reform to nurses, doctors and other advocates of single-payer, guaranteed healthcare for all, while continuing to provide a red carpet to big insurance companies and other healthcare industry interests.
"Five were arrested -- two RNs, members of the National Nurses Organizing Committee/California Nurses Association, two physicians, members of Physicians for a National Health Program, and a patient activist with PNHP and Health Care Now -- after vocally challenging the committee for what they called a stacked process against real debate.
"Marking the anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, some 40 other RNs staged a silent protest -- standing before the committee in red nursing scrubs and turning their backs to show signs [critical of] America's Health Insurance Plans, the private insurance industry lobby arm that is given a regular voice by the Committee, chaired by Sen. Max Baucus, which is in the forefront of discussion on a health plan.
"What a disgrace that RNs and physicians are shut out and arrested while the insurance industry is given a seat at the table. We would expect that from the Bush administration, not in the time of the Obama administration. ... Tuesday morning's protest was also the kickoff of two national days of actions by RNs from across the U.S., coinciding with National Nurses Week."
ELLEN SHAFFER , http://ellenshaffer.blogspot.com
Shaffer is co-director of the Center for Policy Analysis, focusing on health policy. She said today: "Even the Republican Party is ready to 'throw the health insurance industry under the bus,' according to strategist Frank Luntz -- while taking every opportunity to block all reform proposals.
"To avert genuine cost control, the industry is promising to voluntarily hold down prices, per a letter from the America's Health Insurance Plans, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America; as well as the AMA, the Hospital Association, the Advanced Medical Technology Association, and the Service Employees International Union. Voluntary efforts have been effective in the past at staving off real health reform, but each time have failed to truly reduce costs. ...
"But the Congressional Budget Office has testified that it will not give much credit to these proposals for savings on costs."
More information
SHUM PRESTON
Rose Ann DeMoro is president of the National Nurses Organizing Committee/California Nurses Association. Idelson and Preston are spokespersons for NNOC/CNA, which just released a statement: "Registered nurses, physicians and healthcare activists delivered an emphatic protest before the Senate Finance Committee for its failure to open discussion on healthcare reform to nurses, doctors and other advocates of single-payer, guaranteed healthcare for all, while continuing to provide a red carpet to big insurance companies and other healthcare industry interests.
"Five were arrested -- two RNs, members of the National Nurses Organizing Committee/California Nurses Association, two physicians, members of Physicians for a National Health Program, and a patient activist with PNHP and Health Care Now -- after vocally challenging the committee for what they called a stacked process against real debate.
"Marking the anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, some 40 other RNs staged a silent protest -- standing before the committee in red nursing scrubs and turning their backs to show signs [critical of] America's Health Insurance Plans, the private insurance industry lobby arm that is given a regular voice by the Committee, chaired by Sen. Max Baucus, which is in the forefront of discussion on a health plan.
"What a disgrace that RNs and physicians are shut out and arrested while the insurance industry is given a seat at the table. We would expect that from the Bush administration, not in the time of the Obama administration. ... Tuesday morning's protest was also the kickoff of two national days of actions by RNs from across the U.S., coinciding with National Nurses Week."
ELLEN SHAFFER , http://ellenshaffer.blogspot.com
Shaffer is co-director of the Center for Policy Analysis, focusing on health policy. She said today: "Even the Republican Party is ready to 'throw the health insurance industry under the bus,' according to strategist Frank Luntz -- while taking every opportunity to block all reform proposals.
"To avert genuine cost control, the industry is promising to voluntarily hold down prices, per a letter from the America's Health Insurance Plans, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America; as well as the AMA, the Hospital Association, the Advanced Medical Technology Association, and the Service Employees International Union. Voluntary efforts have been effective in the past at staving off real health reform, but each time have failed to truly reduce costs. ...
"But the Congressional Budget Office has testified that it will not give much credit to these proposals for savings on costs."
More information
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6 Comments so far
Show AllI wonder if this will finally be the straw that broke the camel's back. I don't believe that either Republicans or Democrats will EVER fix these kinds of things. They are beholden to corporations and not the US citizens.
PLEASE! All of you... next time elections come up, remember what these people are doing and think about voting third party if a candidate is available. Or, even better, run YOURSELF as a third party candidate. We MUST get health insurance out of the mix and no longer benefiting from the country's illnesses.
There were a number of candidates for president that ran in support of universal health care (single payer) this past election: Dennis Kucinich, Mike Gravel, Ralph Nader, Cynthia McKinney, I'm sure the socialist candidates were for it as well... Please think about this before you vote next time.
The Republicans and Democrats are NOT earning the peoples' votes any longer. They are earning money from lobbyists and that is all.
I strongly suggest that everyone that posts here on Common Dreams, and other sites, out their Representative and senators that have not signed on to HR676, or senator Bernie Sander's bill.
I will start with my representative,Steve Kagen, a doctor that should know better, and senators, Kohl and Feingold. They do not support single payer universal health care.
Please, everyone, get active and out your reps. and senators that are against single payer.
If you would like to help pressure Congress to pass single payer health care with your vote please join our voting bloc at:
http://www.votingbloc.org/Health_Bloc.php
I am vp of Soar 11-3 (retired steelworkers in St. Louis area) and we are outraged.
Not only have supporters of single payer healthcare been excluded from Obama and Senate discussions on healthcare, some have been jailed.
Then today, they talk about "taxing" the meager healthcare benefits of the few whom have them.
Makes one wonder if this is the "change we can believe in" with all options on the table.
My guys are going to take action at the end of this month in a national effort of call ins to congress
What concerns me even more is the news I heard this morning suggesting that the Obama administration has allowed that cuts or even elimination of Medicare/Medicaid is on the table in the current round of Finance Budgeting?!?
If this is true Americans' health care security is being sold down the river... and why/how would such a thing prosper Corporate America? A healthy populace is the engine of a healthy economy!
Live Simply So That Others May Simply Live
As a Uk national maybe I do not have a right to comment but I can not resist. I started my training as a nurse in Uk in 1949 and can look back and remember how it was in my neighbourhood before we had a National health Service. It transformed our lives and was the envy of the world.Sixty years later the NHS is struggling to survive the everincreasing incursion of profiteers on every front and a government that prioritises war and puts arms and Trident before treatment of the sick.
I applaud the five who spoke truth to power , they are a beacon that shines out from the U.s. As do Nader and Kucinich.
Peace and all Good