Don’t Call It Reform, We Still Need Single Payer

Don’t Call It Reform
We Still Need Single Payer
Tues, Jan 19, 2010, 12:30 PM
Unitarian Center, Fireside Rm.
1187 Franklin St. (at Geary), SF

Despite the fact that 45,000 die each year from lack of healthcare, both single payer and a real public option have been swept from the table, and "health reform" has morphed into the medical equivalent of Obama's financial recovery plan: huge and sustained profits for insurance, drug, and hospital companies, health expenses shifted from business and government onto us, and we are forced to buy private insurance that will cost more and more and cover less and less. And at least half of all this will be funded from cuts in Medicare.

This not the result of recalcitrant Republicans or Blue Dog Democrats. This is in accordance with the four cornerstones of healthcare reform specified by Obama and his leading economic advisors: (1) a Medicare cost-containment Commission, (2) taxing high-cost private insurance, (3) reform of medical payment incentives, and (4) deficit reduction. Each of these cornerstones represent policies that will reduce our health care.

As it becomes clear there will be no national health reform, focus will probably shift to two areas:

(1) Passing SB-810, single-payer healthcare in California. The need for single-payer will become increasingly urgent as California’s $20 billion budget deficit leads to crippling cuts in health and human services, yet billions are wasted on health insurance companies.

(2) Fighting off the clamor from Republicans and Democrats, particularly Dianne Feinstein, for powerful, unelected Commissions to gut the so-called “entitlement” programs, Medicare, Social Security, and Medicaid.

Come discuss these developments, and help set our course for this year's health advocacy work.