New Yorkers are continuing the struggle for health care…in the streets
(Photo: Bud Korotzer / NLN)
NEW YORK — On January 19th, at Beth Israel Hospital in NYC, Physicians for a National Health Program held a meeting to evaluate the movement for health care reform and to decide where to go from here. The lecture hall was packed to capacity with about 150 veterans of the health care reform struggle. Dr. Carmelita Blake from NYU was the moderator. The panel was made up of Christopher Blair, Katie Robbins, and Len Rodberg, all health care reform activists, and Donna Smith who spoke to the group by phone. She might be remembered as the person in “Sicko”, Michael Moore’s film, who, along with her husband, had to move into her daughter’s basement after she was financially wiped-out by medical expenses. Ms Smith is now a dynamic organizer for single payer – Medicare for all – Everybody in, Nobody out health care reform. She is part of the California Nurses Association which, having merged with the Massachusetts Nurses Association, represents 150,000 nurses. She said that thanks to the recent campaign everyone knows what single payer means. Assuming that the current bill under discussion passes it is now the job of the movement to clearly explain why they are so opposed to parts of the legislation. Since it won’t take effect for about 4 years there is time to try to improve it. If it doesn’t pass, she added, our job is not very different. She noted that the Democrats took a beating at the polls in Massachusetts because they squandered political capital. They didn’t stand strong on the issue, they handled it very foolishly. We relied on them and they failed us.
Smith said that the job of the movement now is to fight for single payer state by state. California passed it twice but Governor Schwarzenegger vetoed it. But he won’t be there forever.
(Photo: Bud Korotzer / NLN)
The movement should also work to elect single payer candidates. Put all the energy into 1 or 2 races. As for the politicians that said they would support the single payer fight but did not do so, efforts should be made to see that they are not reelected.
Evaluating the movement, Smith said that it did an excellent job. It included many doctors and nurses and had energized the population. She added, “we are in a marathon, not a sprint.” We will keep going, encouraging each other, bringing divergent groups together, celebrating the different contributions – both quiet advocacy and civil disobedience. Doctors should continue to show courage within the medical community by pushing for single payer. She concluded, “I’m sure we will have Medicare for all in our time – within 15 years.”
(Photo: Bud Korotzer / NLN)
Then the panel spoke with Katie Robbins of Healthcare Now being the first. She said that Healthcare Now voted unanimously to oppose the current bill because it “is not universal and without barriers.” As a result of our struggle the NY Times now runs a single payer blog. She added that community hospitals all over are closing and the single payer proponents should be reaching out to work with people opposing the closings of community hospitals.
Katie Robbins at Beth Israel
(Photo: Bud Korotzer / NLN)
Len Rodberg was the next speaker, He said that if something passes we won’t see changes for 4 years because there are no savings in the current bills, and congress has to raise the money to pay for them. The only way to save money will be to have Medicare for all. Health care costs are rising – the current bills won’t change that. The new plans are full of holes and will cost people between 15% and 20% of their income. The penalty for not buying insurance will be 1% to 2% of a person’s income. Rodberg believes that many will opt to pay the penalty rather than buy inferior insurance. It is estimated that the prices paid to coops will rise 6% a year, at twice the rate of inflation. By the time the bill takes effect (4 years) the cost will be 24% higher than it is now. The crisis that led to the debate will continue. The only thing that can resolve the problem is single payer because it will save money.
(Photo: Bud Korotzer / NLN)
Christopher Blair said that the problem is not big government but big insurance. We are just funneling money through useless middlemen.
During the question and answer period, which included Donna Smith, several important points were raised. Establishing single payer in 1 state could serve as a shining example to the rest of the country. Many states may welcome it because they are having financial problems. There should be a branding campaign using the Medicare for All slogan. People like and respect Medicare. Adding young people would be a major money saver because the young are usually healthier and, therefore, will not be costing the plan a lot of money. At the AFL-CIO convention, representing 11 million workers, Resolution 33 passed – the union will work for single payer for all.
(Photo: Bud Korotzer / NLN)
Several people complained about “the total sell out of the Democrats.” Another spoke of there being no social solidarity in the country. It was said that the health care reform movement must not allow itself to be isolated – it should build bridges to other progressive movements like jobs and housing. The fight for decent health care should be linked to the fight against Wall Street. People could be convinced to hate big insurance more than they hate big government. Finally, the lack of health care should be tied to the billions being spent on wars. The dots should be connected by health care reform advocates by pointing out to the public that if our government has money to kill people, then they have to have money to cure people.
Moveon.org has just announced a rally for health care reform at Senator Gillibrand’s office this week. The struggle continues.
(Photo: Bud Korotzer / NLN)
