A Talk and a Film on Single Payer

The recent meltdown by Republicans in their effort to undermine the Affordable Care Act has given way to more talk - and new momentum - toward a true national single payer or "Medicare for All" plan. As the only developed nation without such a plan, the thought is not new to some that we have some ground to make up.

Since 1987, Physicians for a National Health Program has been at the forefront of efforts to reform the health care system in the U.S., and more recently their focus has been to promote a single payer system. On Sunday, April 23, PASMC will host a presentation by PNHP member Dr. Jeff Gee, who will share his thoughts on health care reform alternatives and show a condensed version of a new documentary film, Now Is The Time. The UUSM is wheelchair accessible.

Dr. Gee's talk will cover the outlook on healthcare from Republicans (let the "free market" reign: pay more for less), mainstream Democrats (ACA 2.0: adding the Public Option), and Healthy California (a bill in the legislature mandating single payer, SB 562). Dr. Gee will also compare the poorer outcomes and much higher expense in the U.S. health system with other developed countries.

Now Is The Time is a feature length film with a run time of 71 minutes. We will show a 35-minute version, followed by a discussion of the national health care issue. Terry Sterrenberg and Laurie Simons are the husband-and-wife team who made the film as a follow-up to their previous 2011 documentary, The Healthcare Movie. Now Is The Time was recently released with the goal of being in time to influence the results of national and various state-level efforts to bring Single Payer healthcare to the U.S.

From the film's web site: "While the Affordable Care Act has helped some people, many of us are feeling the pinch of rising costs and narrowing networks. Through interviews, animations and expose, this new documentary film tells the story of the drama, struggle, and success of the movement towards healthcare equity."

http://www.nowsthetimemovie.com/

Free, contributions welcome.