California OneCare » health care

SB 810 Advocates Vow to Soldier On

Sylvia Moore — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:14:47 +0000

The Campaign for a Healthy California on Wednesday denounced the failure of the California Senate to pass SB 810, the California Universal Care Act. The bill died when it remained two votes short of passage.

Democrats fell short of previous levels of support, which successfully passed similar bills through the legislature twice before, only to be vetoed by then Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. This year 19 voted in favor of the bill, two against, and four abstaining in spite of intensive efforts at persuasion by grassroots proponents. The bill received no support from Republicans.

…

CHC member organizations spoke out against the disappointing vote, “Nurses will not give up on winning guaranteed universal healthcare, like SB 810” stated DeAnn McEwen, RN, Co-President of the California Nurses Association, “because we will not abandon our patients who need this vital reform.”

In other words, the movement for universal access to health care in California will not be deterred by a few short sighted lawmakers. At a time like this, I like to think of Ghandi’s famous quote: “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.”

Sylvia@californiaonecare.org

SB 810 Killed on the California Senate Floor

Sylvia Moore — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 23:03:37 +0000

Today SB 810, “Medicare for All” single payer legislation, was killed on the California Senate Floor.

The vote was: 19 YES, 15 NO (including Dem. Calderon and Dem. Correa) and 6 ABSTAIN (which is actually a NO vote and included Dems. Padilla, Vargas, Wright and Rubio).

We have two immediate tasks: first, thank our author of SB 810, Sen. Leno, for his efforts (the legislation was not supposed to pass the Appropriations Committee!) and thank Sen. Steinberg for his assistance in getting the bill to the Senate Floor; and, second, call the 6 Senators who voted against SB 810 and give them a piece of your mind.

Lastly, California OneCare will be recommending “next steps” for the campaign in the very near future. We are meeting with our coalition partners on Friday and will communicate to you a united strategy in the following days.

Thank you for all your help. Without your help, the legislation would have never gone as far as the Senate Floor. Again, wait for our suggestions for future advocacy plans. I think you’ll be surprised because we are getting real tired of the Democrats In Name Only stopping life saving legislation: it’s now time to take it to a new level. Stay tuned!

Andrew McGuire
Executive Director

Sundance Documentary Focuses on America’s Broken Healthcare System

Sylvia Moore — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 23:01:20 +0000

Why does the United States still maintain a bloated, inefficient and outrageously expensive healthcare system? The new documentary, Escape Fire: The Fight to Rescue American Healthcare, which is premiering at this week’s Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, examines the powerful forces driving America’s high medical costs, and how health providers are trying to find ways to save money by focusing on prevention. Below is a Democracy Now! interview with Dr. Steven Nissen, who appears in the film.

I haven’t yet seen Escape Fire – other than the trailer – but I’m hoping that the film goes beyond the usual Band-Aid solutions for cutting costs, and explores the need for systemic change, like implementing a national public health insurance program.

Escape Fire‘s premiere in Park City comes amid the sad irony surrounding the tragic death of Canadian freestyle skier and Olympic hopeful, Sarah Burke. Burke was killed in a training accident at the Park City Mountain resort. She was in a coma for several days before her death. But because the accident happened in the U.S., and not in Burke’s native Canada, her family is now saddled with over half a million dollars in medical bills. Healthcare advocate Wendell Potter wrote about the Burke tragedy in a poignant blog post, which includes information on where to send donations to the family.

Sylvia@californiaonecare.org

Activists Rally in Los Angeles and Sacramento for SB 810

Sylvia Moore — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 23:17:10 +0000

On Jan. 9, healthcare providers, medical students, activists and concerned citizens held marches and rallies in Los Angeles and Sacramento in a renewed fight to extend health coverage to all Californians. Despite the lofty rhetoric coming out of Washington about the Affordable Care Act, there are many of us in California who know that only a universal, publicly-financed, privately delivered healthcare system is going to solve our nation’s uninsured crisis. SB 810, which Senate Appropriations will vote on next Tuesday, will cover all Californians, while the ACA will still leave thousands in our state uninsured.

Sylvia@californiaonecare.org

URGENT: YES Votes Needed For SB 810

admin — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 22:51:26 +0000

Demand a YES Vote

for Single-Payer SB 810 In Tuesday’s

Senate Appropriations Committee Hearing

PLEASE CALL, FAX AND WRITE YOUR SENATOR — BEFORE NEXT TUESDAY!

California’s landmark single payer bill, SB 810, authored by Senator Mark Leno, is now scheduled to be heard in the Senate Appropriations committee on January 17th in Sacramento. The bill must pass this committee and pass a Senate floor vote before the end of January in order to then be considered in the Assembly. Your help is urgently needed to write and call your State Senator and urge him/her to vote for SB 810.

If SB 810 fails to pass Appropriations committee and the Senate floor, it can’t be heard again until it is re-introduced in 2013!

PLEASE TAKE THE FOLLOWING ACTION:

Call AND send a fax AND a written letter (emails don’t usually get through) to your State Senator’s Sacramento office, urging his/her support of SB 810. If you do not know who your Senator is, find your district here.

It is especially important to call and write your Senator if he or she is a member of the Senate Appropriations committee:

District 6      Darrell Steinberg    (916) 651-4006    Fax: (916) 323-2263
District 13    Elaine Alquist         (916) 651-4013    Fax: (916) 324-0283
District 17    Sharon Runner       (916) 651-4017    Fax: (916) 445-4662
District 23    Fran Pavley             (916) 651-4023    Fax: (916) 324-4823
District 26    Curren Price            (916) 651-4026    Fax: (916) 445-8899
District 28    Ted Lieu                   (916) 651-4028    Fax: (916) 323-6056
District 33    Mimi Walters           (916) 651-4033    Fax: (916) 445-9754
District 37    Bill Emmerson        (916) 651-4037    Fax: (916) 327-2187
District 39    Christine Kehoe      (916) 651-4039    Fax: (916) 327-2188

Healthcare For the 99% March & Speak Out, Jan. 9, 2012

admin — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 03:09:54 +0000

MOURN THOSE KILLED BY HEALTH INSURANCE CORPORATE GREED

Join the Campaign for a Healthy California to rally in solidarity with CA-Health Professional Student Alliance Lobby Day in support of SB-810, The California Universal Health Care Act

NEW ORLEANS STYLE FUNERAL MARCH & SPEAK OUT

MONDAY, JAN. 9, 2012

11:AM: Assemble at Pershing Square, 532 South Olive St., Los Angeles 90013 (Pershing Square Metro)

11:15AM: Funeral Procession

12PM: Speak Out and Rally at "Insurance Giant" Headquarters

*End Corporate Control of Health Care

*Health Care is a Human Right

*Patients Before Profits

BRING YOUR STORIES AND PICTURES!

Contact: info@healthycaliforniacampaign.org for more info or call: 323-316-8933

Healthcare Reform 2.0 – Woolhandler and Himmelstein

admin — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 21:38:01 +0000

Healthcare Reform 2.0

By Steffie Woolhandler, MD, MPH and David Himmelstein, MD

CUNY School of Public Health, Social Research, Fall 2011

So while the American people want an expanded and improved Medicare for All — that is, a single-payer system — corporations dead-set against single-payer reform have come to dictate the agendas of both political parties. Hence, the only way to win national health insurance is to build a popular movement to counter corporate power.

http://www1.cuny.edu/mu/forum/2011/11/09/dr-steffie-woolhandler-and-dr-david-himmelstein-on-their-recent-publication-“healthcare-reform-2-0″-in-the-fall-2011-issue-of-social-research/

Healthcare Reform 2.0 (12 pages):
http://www1.cuny.edu/mu/sph/files/2011/11/783_Woolhandler-Himmelstein_719-730.pdf

Comment:

By Don McCanne, MD

This brief primer (9 short pages plus references) on Healthcare Reform 2.0 will provide little new information for those who have followed the research and educational efforts of the leadership of Physicians for a National Health Program. Nevertheless, it should be downloaded to be used as an advocacy piece to explain to others why Healthcare Reform 1.0 (Affordable Care Act) will remain a failure, and why we have to move on to Healthcare Reform 2.0 (expanded and improved Medicare for All). By distributing this, electronically or in hard copy, you can become a part of the popular movement to counter corporate power.

Re-posted with permission from pnhp.org.

Uninsured and Underinsured Seek Care at Free Clinic in Los Angeles

Sylvia Moore — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 23:29:01 +0000

Despite passage of the federal Affordable Care Act, a recent free clinic at the Los Angeles Sports Arena showed that the need for universal health coverage is too great. The clinic, organized by the non-profit CareNow USA, drew 5,000 people.

Sylvia@californiaonecare.org

Occupy Wall Street to March on Wednesday Against Health Insurers

Sylvia Moore — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 16:38:15 +0000

Tomorrow in New York, Occupy Wall Street is holding a march against American profit-driven health care. Marchers plan to stop in front of Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield, WellCare and St. Vincent’s Community Hospital in the city. The movement’s new web site, OWS Healthcare, is specifically devoted to promoting actions in support of universal health care. Here’s hoping for a massive mobilization from our friends in New York on Wednesday!

Sylvia@californiaonecare.org

California Healthcare Justice Tour, Oct. 18-24

admin — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 20:23:40 +0000

Description:

The Vermont Legislature has pioneered a bill creating a path for a universal, publicly funded healthcare system. James Haslam from the Vermont Workers’ Center, is coming to California to share their story and inspire Californians to do the same. Also speaking is Donna Smith, National Co-Chair for Progressive Democrats of America’s Healthcare NOT Warfare Campaign, who was featured in the movie Sicko. Sponsored by the Campaign for a Healthy California.

Schedule:

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18—LOS ANGELES
7:00 p.m. – Los Angeles ILWU Local 26 Union Hall
5625 South Figueroa Street, LOS ANGELES CA 90037
Map and directions here.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19—IRVINE
7:00 p.m. – Irvine United Congregational Church
4915 Alton Parkway, Irvine CA 92604
Map and directions here.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20—SAN DIEGO
6:30 p.m. – San Diego Machinist Local 725 Union Hall
5150 Kearny Mesa Road, San Diego CA 92111
Map and directions here.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21—SAN JOSE
7:00 p.m. – South Bay CLC, Hall A
2102 Almaden Rd., SAN JOSE CA 95125
Map and directions here.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22—SAN FRANCISCO
10:00 a.m. – San Francisco St. Mary’s Cathedral
1111 Gough Street, San Francisco CA 94109
Map and directions here.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22—WATSONVILLE
3:00 p.m. – Watsonville Civic Plaza
275 Main Street, Watsonville CA 95076
Map and directions here.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23—SACRAMENTO
1:00 p.m. – Sacramento CWA Local 9421 Union Hall
2725 El Camino Avenue, Sacramento CA 95821
Map and directions here.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23—FRESNO
7:00 p.m. – Fresno CWA Local 9408 Union Hall
4422 E. Ashlan Ave, Fresno CA 93726
Map and directions here.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 24—CHICO
6:30 p.m. – Chico Trinity United Methodist Church
285 E. 5th Street, Chico CA 95928
Map and directions here.