Physicians for a National Health Program Annual Meeting
September 16, 2005
Physicians for a National Health Program will hold their Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, December 10, 9-5 PM. There will be a PNHP speaker’s training on Dec. 9 at the Friends Center, 15th and Cherry Streets. And there will be a PNHP dinner on December 10, at 6 PM. Location TBA by next week. For more information, see www.pnhp.org
American Public Health Association in Philadelphia
September 16, 2005
The American Public Health Association has been moved from New Orleans to Philadelphia, December 10-14 at the Convention Center. Don’t miss the largest public health meeting in the America coming here! For information go to www.apha.org
Marcia Angell, MD to Speak on Single Payer
August 8, 2005
Marcia Angell, MD, Senior Lecturer, Harvard Medical School and former editor of the New England Journal of Medicine will be speaking on “Single Payer Healthcare: How Realistic?”
Come hear Marcia Angell, MD speak at the 25th Anniversary of the Zubrow lecture, Pennsylvania Hospital, 8th and Spruce Streets, Zubrow Auditorium, Philadelphia, September 29, 5 PM. Reception at 6 PM.
Happy 40th Birthday Medicare and Medicaid
July 18, 2005
July 30 is the 40th birthday of the dominant health care plans for America – Medicare and Medicaid. Both programs are being slowly privatized to the detriment of the programs.
Join the MEDICAID 40TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
Friday, June 29th
You can join other organizations across Pennsylvania to preserve federal Medicaid funding by:
Signing Our Stakeholder’s Medicaid Birthday Card –
Dear Senator Rick Santorum,
The following organizations will be celebrating Medicaid’s 40th birthday throughout Pennsylvania.
The Stakeholders Alliance to Defend Medicaid invites you to join this celebration of a national
system that has supported more than 50 million seniors, children, people with disabilities and low-income
families with access to life-saving medical care each year. As a member of the Senate Finance Committee,
your vote will play a pivotal role in the Medicaid debate. We urge you to make decisions on Medicaid in the
coming months based on the needs of Pennsylvania residents who depend on Medicaid to sustain their lives.
Do not blow out the candles on Medicaid.
to sign the card: forward a reply to ksorensen@ccjustice.org with a subject line that says: Medicaid Sig
In the body of the email give your:
Organization _________________________________
Your name__________________________________
Phone number _______________________________
City______________________zip __________________
You can also have a birthday cake at your work and invite your members and clients. When you cut the cake marking the 40th Anniversary of the creation of Medicaid, hold the piece aside that says “Happy” for Senator Santorum. He can either take it, or throw it away for the people of PA with his vote. Please contact us if you’re going to have a cake so we can include you with all of the other state-wide organizations who are having cake in our press alert.
alisasimon@pccy.org
or call Alisa Simon: (215) 563-5848
This event is sponsored by Stakeholders:
Citizens for Consumer Justice
Consumer Health Coalition
Pennsylvania Partnership for Children
Philadelphia Coalition for Children and Youth
Kate Sorensen
Citizens for Consumer Justice
215-569-8220
ksorensen@ccjustice.org
Community Meeting MCP Hospital
June 12, 2005
There is a COMMUNITY MEETING BEING HELD ON
JUNE 16, (THURSDAY) AT 7:00p.m. at
MERCY VOCATIONAL CATHOLIC SCHOOL located at 29th Street and Allegheny Avenue.
Where we are now is that efforts are being taken by the community, medical staff, former workers, and others to ensure that the MCP hospital be turned over to the citizens for ownership and operations.
The politicians will be there; the community residents will be there; the medical staff will be there; former workers will be there; union representatives will be there; and the press will be there. At this meeting you will get a full update on all of the actions that have been and are being taken concerning OUR HOSPITAL. Please mark the date and pass this information along to everyone you know. It is vitally important that you meet the members of the various committees working to solve these issues concerning OUR HOSPITAL. Please be in attendance if possible. For further information feel free to call (215) 227-3622 at North Penn Civic Association.
Health Care Action Day
May 13, 2005
Tuesday, June 14th
This is your chance to join in solidarity and stand for Health and Social Security
1st… Tuesday, June 14th 10:30am
George Bush will be Attending a Fundraiser for Santorum
That’s right, You’ve got a chance to come speak your mind about Social Security and the Bush/Santorum plan for Privatization and Benefit Cuts.
This is going to be really good
2nd… Tuesday, June 14th 4 pm
March for Healthcare Justice
March from the Clothespin to SEPTA HQ
1500 Market St to 1234 Market St.
The Pennsylvania State Legislature is finalizing massive cuts to our Medicaid Healthcare Safety-net. AND
Healthcare workers and Septa workers are in dispute to hold tight to the healthcare that they’ve fought for.
Advocates can support all of Pennsylvania’s Underinsured by coming to this march and backing these folks.
March with hundreds of Medicaid recipients, hospital workers and transit workers in their demand for health care justice. This action will target Faye Moore, General Manager of SEPTA, who seeks to raise health care co-pays and premiums of the SEPTA workers by $400 per month.
Come to the Clothespin, 15th and Market Streets, Philadelphia to support the Transport Workers Union and hospital workers in their negotiations for health benefits, 3:30 PM, June 14. Prepare for a march at 4:30 PM.
Single Payer Health Plan for Pennsylvania
May 13, 2005
Pennsylvanians United for Single Payer Health Care have introduced model parameters for an innovative plan for universal health care in Pennsylvania. For more information, including a draft of the bill, go to http://www.pahcsc.org.
“ONE PAGER” – SUMMARY
MODEL BILL – 2005 BALANCED HEALTH CARE REFORM
I. Implementation January 1, 2007
II. Comprehensive universal health coverage, single payer, no deductibles or co-pays, and no caps. Covers all cost of hospitalization, physicians, prescription drugs, dental, mental, optical, emergency transport, addiction, transplants, durable medical equipment, hospice, long term care, etc. No coverage for purely cosmetic procedures. Replaces all private insurance, Medicaid, Adult Basic, PaCHIP, and all other government programs excepting Medicare and VA. The Plan plugs all holes in the Medicare and VA coverage. Parties to collective bargaining agreements with benefits at least as generous as the Balanced Plan may opt out. Private insurers may cover anything not covered by the Plan.
III. Replace the current malpractice system with a consumer choice between: (1) An administrative no-fault program providing a reasonable and immediate set of benefits to anyone injured by their medical care regardless of how careful the health care provider may have been, and (2) Retaining their traditional fault based remedies. The Plan will fund both the no-fault and fault approaches essentially eliminating malpractice insurance premiums for health care providers except for those who elect to purchase additional coverage to insure traditional claims exceeding the $3 million limit provided by the Plan.
IV $1000 per year tax rebates for active volunteer firefighters, EMTs, and rescue workers.
V. Medical error reduction through an aggressive and fully funded program to investigate all claims of errors, to order and enforce better practices to reduce avoidable health care related injuries, and to seek license revocation where appropriate.
VI. Cost containment through a certificate of need requirement to avoid wasteful and duplicative capital investment in medical equipment or services in over served areas while encouraging development in under served parts of the Commonwealth.
VII. Total commitment to establishing a culture of wellness through: (1) A fully funded K through 12 health education and physical fitness curriculum that is considered no less important than any other “core” subject, and (2) Identifying and eliminating environmental health risks.
VIII. Generous transitional assistance to employees displaced by the move to a single payer system. Adoption of this legislation will also create tens of thousands of excellent new jobs in health care, education, substance abuse treatment, and long term care.
IX. Preservation of the private health care system and the right of patients to choose their doctor.
X. Funding of a 21st Century digital medical record system that will be cost-efficient, eliminate redundant testing, and will reduce prescription and treatment errors.
XI. Dedicated funding of the program through a 10% Health Care Levy on payrolls (including the self-employed) plus a 3% Wellness Tax on all personal income. This becomes 1% each for employers and employees with a qualifying collective bargaining agreement.
XII. Exercising the collective purchasing power of 12 million Pennsylvanians to lower the cost of prescription drugs and durable medical equipment.
Health Commissioner releases Phila Plan for Universal Health Care
May 5, 2005
Philadelphia releases plan for “Decent Health Care for All Philadelphians”
The City releases the Philadelphia plan for universal health care entitled, “Decent Health Care for All”. This plan is a first step toward crafting a plan for universal health care. It calls for the city to initiate a Health Leadership Partnership of key leaders to coordinate services for the uninsured. At the same time, we must fight potential cuts in Medicaid and Medicare which could jeopardize services. The plan can be downloaded at the http://www.phila.gov/health.
Cover The Uninsured Week
April 28, 2005
Cover The Uninsured events May 2-6, 2005
Religious Leaders Interfaith Breakfast
Thursday, May 5, Wyndham Franklin Plaza, 8 AM
Closing Women’s Medical Hospital
March 17, 2005
After 155 years as a hospital and birthplace of Women’s Medical College, MCP/Women’s Medical Hospital closed. If we do not revive MCP, there will be a sad closure to a important moment in history. Read the cover story of Physician’s News Digest (http://www.physiciansnews.com)
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