Posts Tagged ‘healthcare reform’

SB 810 Advocates Vow to Soldier On

February 1st, 2012

From The Union (Western Nevada County):

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

January 31st, 2012

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

January 25th, 2012

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

January 13th, 2012

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