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Campaign For SB 810 – Single Payer Universal Health Care

Posts Tagged ‘Margaret Flowers’

Occupy Wall Street Movement on Health Care

October 15th, 2011

Last weekend, I checked out Occupy Wall Street’s satellite protest in downtown Los Angeles, Occupy Los Angeles. I was impressed by how well it was organized in a relatively short amount of time. Along with the tents that protesters are calling their homes indefinitely, were areas reserved for donations, food, Web broadcasting and even a makeshift library. Groups of people set aside space for intense discussions on issues of the day. There is a real community there, a place where people work together and share resources as well as ideas. It’s the kind of community we are fighting for now in this new revolution – one where camaraderie, compassion and the common good are all valued.

Some complain that the occupiers’ message isn’t clear. “What do they want? What are their demands?” the skeptics ask. But those who ask these questions aren’t paying attention. I believe the message is very clear. People want to remove the vise-like grip that corporate America has on every aspect of their lives. In a democracy, the people rule – not corporations. Health care is an essential part of life that corporations have absolute control over in America.

A small group of billionaires operating in shiny glass towers with virtually no accountability to the public are deciding who lives and who dies. These health insurance executives – denizens of Wall Street – have set themselves up as Greek gods on Mount Olympus. It’s time to topple them from that perch, and turn our healthcare system over to the people. For in a democracy, we the people – not the corporations – should run our health care system via a national health insurance model: Medicare for All. Below are voices from actions around the country, talking about how a broken healthcare system has affected their lives.

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Dr. Margaret Flowers of Physicians for a National Health Program confronts health insurance executives in Washington D.C. as part of an action by October2011.org, a group in solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street movement.

Personal stories from Occupy Wall Street in New York.

Occupy Philadelphia

Occupy Minneapolis

Occupy Denver

Occupy Oakland

Sylvia@californiaonecare.org

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Tags: health care Health Care Reform health care system health insurance health insurance companies health insurance reform health reform healthcare healthcare reform insurance Margaret Flowers medical insurance reform Medicare for All Occupy Los Angeles Occupy Wall Street October2011 Physicians for a National Health Program protests single payer single payer health care single payer health insurance single payer insurance single payer system uninsured Universal Health Care Universal Healthcare

Concentrated Wealth Is THE Barrier to True Healthcare Reform

September 23rd, 2011

In an excellent essay posted on the site October2011.org, Dr. Margaret Flowers of Physicians for a National Health Program writes that the real reason we still don’t have Medicare for all in this country is because of the immense power of concentrated wealth.

…the single payer movement is not in a position to counter the corporate stranglehold on our political process. And, in reality, winning single payer in isolation will not accomplish much towards improving the health of our population if we do not also address the social determinants of health such as education, the environment, housing, violence, jobs and equal rights.

Under our current political system, one in which Democrats and Republicans are controlled by concentrated corporate power and in which independent parties have no opportunity to succeed, all who advocate for peace and social, economic and environmental justice face the same barriers. Together these movements have the strength to take on corporate power. We will never match corporate power with our collective dollars when the richest 400 people have more wealth than 154 million people, but we can defeat them with our collective voices.

Dr. Flowers is right. We must acknowledge the fact that the U.S. political system is rigged in favor of the enriched few. A system where politicians must constantly raise huge sums of money in order to gain office is a system that serves the interests of the wealthy few over the interests of the many. This system is the primary barrier to achieving a healthcare reform that is fair, equitable and affordable for all. And that is a system that must be changed. Concentrated power must be confronted and defeated by organizing coalitions of single payer activists with other groups who fight for social and economic justice. We can do this if we work together.

Sylvia@californiaonecare.org

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Tags: corporate Doctor DR. health care Health Care Reform health care system health reform healthcare healthcare reform Margaret Flowers medicare Medicare for All Physicians for a National Health Program PNHP single payer single payer health care single payer system Universal Health Care Universal Healthcare wealth

Dr. Margaret Flowers Answers Commonly Held Questions About Single Payer

May 25th, 2011

Dr. Margaret Flowers of Physicians for a National Health Program is interviewed on New Mexico independent television about the benefits of an improved, Medicare-for-all system in the United States. She expertly answers many of the frequently asked questions about single payer, such as how much it would cost, how would it benefit people who already have insurance, and how it would affect job creation. This is a excellent video to share with family, friends and anyone who is unfamiliar with single payer. Watch:

Sylvia@californiaonecare.org

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Tags: Doctor DR. health care Health Care Reform health care system health insurance health insurance companies health insurance reform health reform healthcare healthcare reform insurance Margaret Flowers medical insurance reform Medicare for All Physicians for a National Health Program PNHP single payer single payer health care single payer health insurance single payer insurance single payer system underinsured uninsured Universal Health Care Universal Healthcare

Single Payer Activists Fired Up at PNHP California 2010 Summer Conference

July 21st, 2010

Thanks to Jeoffry B. Gordon, MD, MPH, for this summary of the successful event which took place July 17, 2010. Photos provided by California OneCare.

Last weekend, Physicians for A National Health Program California held a conference in Los Angeles on SB 810 – Single Payer for all Californians. It was attended by more than 150 enthusiastic and eager people. Speakers included Dr. Margaret Flowers, who was arrested at Senator Max Baucus’s Senate Finance Committee hearing which put single payer off the table; Dr. Paul Hochfeld, leader of The Mad As Hell Doctors’ tour; and former state Senator Sheila Kuehl.

They all gave inspirational messages and examples from practical experience. Representatives of state Senator Mark Leno, California Teachers Association, California Nurses Association, California State Employees Association and California OneCare also participated.

Among the important messages were:

There is a growing state and national movement in support of Medicare for All
Obama’s health reform package is too complex and costly – especially for companies, individuals and families
The federal reforms won’t work as well because there are too many giveaways to health insurance companies
Electing a governor in November who will preserve the community’s safety net and improve civic participation in California is crucial
Universal health care is just one brick in the foundation needed to reverse our county’s decline into income polarization and corporate control
True success for SB 810 is a long term project, probably taking seven to ten years and a ballot initiative to achieve.

More information and copies of presentations are available at the PNHP California website and on the organization’s Facebook page.

Jeoffry B. Gordon, MD, MPH