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)
Fight PA Medicaid Cuts
March 11, 2005
Call your state legislators today to oppose the proposed limits on Medicaid. For Phila area hospitals, the cuts will cost around $186 million and will force the closure of hospital floors and compromise emergency room services. CALL TODAY!
Health Care for Philadedelphia Town Meeting
September 28, 2004
Time: Thursday Oct. 7th 7pm
Location: Church of the Advocate, 18th & Diamond
You voted to have the Philadelphia Health Department develop a plan for Universal Health Care for Philadelphians. Now we need input in creating that plan. Please support the upcoming Town meeting. This could be the begining of Health Care for all in the US!
Justice Talking Taping
September 26, 2004
Instead of an October General Mtg at the Penn Newman Ctr. Some members of the PACDHC will attend the National Health Care taping & discussion at the National Constitution Center (525 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA)
For more information and/or to get tickets go to
http://www.justicetalking.org/joinaudience.asp
Justice Talking is award-winning radio that engages listeners in timely, refreshingly honest debates on the current legal battles that capture our nation’s attention.
Each weekly program unapologetically tackles tough, provocative issues featuring reports from the field, polling analysis, and compelling debate between the nation’s leading advocates and political opposites.
Photo from The Rally & Demonstration in NYC
September 2, 2004
Jobs for Justice,PACDHC and others loaded onto two buses armed with Health Care for All signs and walking shoes to peacefully demonstrate during the Republican Convention in August.
Thank you to all those who lent their support!
Demonstration & Rally in NYC
July 30, 2004
Taking place during the Republican Convention.
The Philadelphia Area Committee to Defend Health Care and Philadelphia Jobs with Justice are working together to fill at least one bus to take Philadelphia-area healthcare activists to New York City for the demonstration called by United for Peace and Justice.
Reserve your seat on the bus now! Leaving from Center City Philadelphia 7:30am Sunday, August 29th
Sign Up
If you're already an email discussion group member, you can go directly to the forum here.
If you want less email, join our events email list here. We only send about one email a month to this list.
