President Barack Obama and Democratic leaders face an uphill battle in trying to pass their health care reform proposal. Both conservatives and fellow liberals are increasing their opposition to pieces of the plan.
The Campaign for America’s Future supports the basic principles but is voicing strong opposition to a suggested compromise that would delay or block the creation of a public health care option. Liberal groups also held recent rallies across the nation to push for single-payer universal health care. Also called Medicare for All, the idea is the core of HR 676, a bill sponsored by Reps. John Conyers and Dennis Kucinich. Though Nancy Pelosi has declared the bill dead, thousands of citizens still support the proposal.
Meanwhile, Obama is expanding his own public campaign supporting his plan that would reduce health care costs and create a public option to compete with private insurance industry — unless the latter provision is removed. Obama’s national network of supporters, Organizing for America, is hosting health care organizing kickoffs across the country, including in Fort Collins, on Saturday, June 6. The group hopes to rally volunteers and generate public support for the Obama plan. For more information on the meetings, visit the OFA page.
The president has to be concerned about the debate on the left. He recently emphasized health care as a top priority and a one-time opportunity. "If we don't get it done this year, we're not going to get it done," he said. House and Senate leadership is behind Obama, but the continual creep toward compromise and his new grassroots publicity effort are a sign of concerns about generating enough votes to pass the bill.
America's Future Now is hosting a conference this week, where a straw poll of members showed strong opposition to compromise on health care. The group said 63 percent of members agreed that “including a public option is the only way to hold the insurance companies accountable and force them to bring down costs. I can't support a health care plan that does not include the choice of a public option."
Other groups can’t support a plan that doesn’t take reform all the way to the Medicare for All universal health care proposal. Physicians for a National Health Program and HealthCare-NOW are large national organizations that recently held rallies and have launched major media campaigns for universal health care.
PNHP has 16,000 members and has been advocating for a universal single-payer system since 1987. The group issued a press release this week labeling universal health care as a human right, based on a study of reform proposals conducted by The National Economic & Social Rights Initiative.
“We have a fundamental choice to make as a country. We can either be guided by human rights that reflect our founding values or we can continue down the path of special corporate interests,” said Cathy Albisa, co-founder of NESRI. “The kind of health care system our government puts in place and what weight is given to the opinion of the American people in the upcoming debate is an important barometer of the health of our democracy and our ability to move towards a more equitable society.”
Read this story for more information on health care reform.
Comments
We, at InstuanceTeaseDOTcom, have always supported a Single Payer Healthcare system, be it the national bill HR 676 or our local California bill SB 810 (formerly SB 840). We are a tiny, insignificant speck of interest on the battlefield of this healthcare revolution, but we are an active speck. Other, much larger organizations garner economic support from their ardent supporters (as they should) but I would like to hear from a lot more individuals who do support HR 676 but who have, until now, let others do the talking, er, writing. Stand up and be counted for HR 676 and/or California's SB 810. If you don't those goes one hell of an opportunity.
Instuance? What the heck is an instuance? Oh, I meant to say Insurance, as in www.InsuranceTease.com. Sorry for the typo.
Insurance Tease, I couldn't agree with you more, and you are not insignificant. At least you are doing something. People need to speak up and express their support for HR 676. I don't know anything about SB 810. It sound like California has its own Single Payer legislation going on, but for the country we need to pass HR 676 to stop the whole sale ripp off of our health Care dollar, we need to stop the insurance companies theft of it, and we need to cover everyone. Everyone I know supports HR 676. I don't think I know anyone who would rather keep the insurance companies going.
Thank you, Sophia, we try.
But you could update your website more often. And it might help your sales if you got an SSL that was valid. I read your bit about your hosting service problems. Too bad.
Ahem, yes, you are right. Those things would most certainly help. Thank you. As for HR 676 being the way to get this country out of our healthcare quagmire, it would also be an economic boon to the country with the number of jobs created. For more information on the economic impact of HR 676 go to www.CalNurses.org and click on their research link.
InsuranceTease, I ordered the Liberty Babe-T. Thought you'd like to know. ;-)
Cool, thank you. Be conspicuous! HR 676 will pass if it and we can get more supporters like you. Thanks again.
Howard Dean is correct.
"a"(Toothy, Robust)"public health insurance option is more important than bipartisanship, and Democrats should pass health-care legislation that includes the option with 51 votes if necessary."
"Democrats should have "no intention" of working with Republicans if it's not the strongest possible legislation that could be passed with a simple majority." (Howard Dean)
This is what WE THE PEOPLE gave the Democrats all that power to do for ALL of us.
You see, Dr. Dean knows that in medicine and healthcare there is only one acceptable standard. And that standard is the HIGHEST level of EXCELLENCE you can provide for everyone. Nothing less has ever been acceptable in caring for a precious human life.
And the White House is right too. "Good health care reform is essentially good economic policy." (Christina Romer)
jacksmith -- WORKING CLASS
I disagree with the last post, as do the massive number of people who support HR 676. At www.HealthCare-NOW.org one of the main promoters of HR 676 they specifically denounce Obama's plan as not going far enough. If we keep the for-profit-system in place we will have no change worth talking about. Our economy will fall further so long as the healthcare cream is taken off the top and not put to work serving patient's. I will ONLY support HR 676.
Dear Jack Smith, from previous posts you have left on other forums I thought you were a supporter of HR 676. With your last post it would seem that you also accept what Obama is attempting to do. Please be clear, do you accept the assertion that a public plan and private health insurance a co-compatible, or do you recognize the fallacy in that arrangement? We already have what Obama is talking about. But our current Medicare plan has problems that are brought about because it co-exists with the private sector, and because of idiot policy signed by Shrubby boy (Medicare part D). We need a complete overhaul of our healthcare system, and HR 676 is the ONLY plan that makes sense. Go to www.PNHP.org and see what they are saying. SUPPORT HR 676 ONLY!
Conyers, Grijalva, Edwards Write to Hoyer Re Single Payer in a Letter to the Editor; By MWC NEWS, to quote, "...more than 60% of Americans are in favor of national health insurance and that HR 676, the single payer non- profit universal health care bill, has the support of 78 House Members and, it is crucial that this perspective be part of this historic debate. HR 676 has also been endorsed by over 15,000 doctors, two former editors of the New England Journal of Medicine, 40 State AFL-CIO organizations, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and the American Public Health Association. Clearly, there is much that can be learned from having an objective and substantive discussion on the merits of national health insurance." So long as Single Payer is off the table, then the American people are not in the discussion. Only big business has a seat, and those fat cats are going to ENSLAVE US!
Look at what was just published this morning - Study: Life, Health Insurers Investing Billions in Tobacco Companies
Friday , June 05, 2009; Fox NEWS
A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that major U.S., Canadian and British life and health insurance are investing billions of dollars in tobacco company stock, Agence France-Presse reported.
"Despite calls upon the insurance industry to get out of the tobacco business by physicians and others, insurers continue to put their profits above people's health," said Wesley Boyd, the study’s lead author and a faculty member of Harvard Medical School. “It’s clear their top priority is making money, not safe-guarding people’s well-being.” We should all support HR 676
That bit about insurance companies buying into tobacco, unreal. I noticed in the original article that they had the comment section turned off. Wonder why.
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