Hello

Have you had enough of petitions, rallies, and protests that have not worked? The Republican party and their conservative members appears insulated from the public and unresponsive to the public. However their contributors do not appear insulated from the public and can collapse under pressure to a withering telephone campaign threatening mass boycotts of their products until they get their friends at the GOP to do what we want.

Would you and your organization consider joining these telephone campaigns and spreading the word to your membership, and fellow progressive groups in your newsletter? I have created these campaigns to peacefully take back America. After you have made these phone calls please send me email to info@democratz.org with the subject CALLED.

I plan to bring this message to as many Democratic Clubs around the United States of America as I can.

Thank you.

http://www.democratz.org


Get as many people to make these 3 phone calls.

Call GOP contributor and war contractor General Electric Corporation at
800 386 1215 or 203 373 2211 and tell the person who answers, that you want
the GE CEO Jeffrey Immelt to get Bush to end the war in Iraq and then Bush
resign with Cheney and until that happens you will not buy any GE products
and that you will tell your friends about this.

Call GOP contributor Rite Aid Corporation at 1-800-325-3737
and tell the person to get the CEO to get the congress to enact HR 676
Single payer universal health care and repeal Medicare Part D and place
the drug benefit in Medicare Part B covering 80% of drugs with no extra
premiums, no extra deductibles, no means tests, no coverage gaps, and
remove the means test for Medicare Part B and until that happens, you
won't buy ANYTHING from Rite Aid Pharmacies and that you will tell
your friends about this.

Call GOP contributor Wendy's restaurants at 614 764-3553 and Tell the
person in public relations that you want their CEO to get the congress to help
enact a $10/HR MIN. WAGE into law and until this happens you will not go to a
Wendy's Restaurant and that you will tell your friends about this.




I set up a progressives forum for progressives and liberals
only. Get as many progressives and liberals to join as you
can.

http://progressives.aceboard.com

I do not seek donations. You can use the board for free.

I just spoke with my representative's staffer that handles health care issues. After a 20 minute talk, she has said she will put the bill in front of him again. He supports health care for everyone, but feels the bill needs changes. I told her that the bill will go through a process of changes, but his "intent" to support a health care bill is as important as any changes that are made. The congressman in my district is Charlie Gonzales. Let's see how successful this hone call was.

I have written my Representative and my two Congresspersons and have yet to hear back from any of them. I truly believe that Congress does not have the best interests of this country at heart, but instead treasures their kickbacks and campaign contributions above and beyond any of us. Good luck in trying to get ANYTHING done. Esp. when we have an illegal, deceptive Administration as the Bush Administration in power.

-- Over 18,000 Americans die every year simply because they do not have health insurance. This is equivalent to a 747 jet crashing every week of the year killing all on board.

-- More than half of all bankruptcies were related to medical expenses -- and 75% of these people had insurance at the time that they got sick.

-- 47 million Americans lack health insurance, and 40% of those who are insured are inadequately insured.

-- 65% of Americans agree that the U.S. should adopt a universal health insurance program similar to Medicare that covers everyone.

-- 59% of physicians in the U.S. now support government legislation to establish a national health insurance.

-- The U.S. ranks last in preventable death rates among 19 industrialized countries, resulting in about 101,000 excess deaths a year.

-- Americans spend more for health care than any other country in the world, yet we rank 37th in health (just under Costa Rica).

These facts cannot be ignored any longer.

Profits are at the heart of the current American health care system, and we cannot fix the system without fixing the heart. Bandaids like mandates and tax incentives do not address the real issue. We need to get the profits out of health care and the only way to do that is to totally change the system -- which is what HR 676 proposes.

Most people are not afraid of the term "Medicare" but they are terrified of "socialized medicine." Those who profit from the current system (i.e. the insurance and drug companies)at the expense of those who suffer under it (i.e. the 18,000 who die each year and the 47 million uninsured) play on this fear.

We need to educate people that HR 676 is "Improved and Expanded Medicare for All," not an evil system that will take away our choices or ration our care. (Our current profit driven system, on the other hand, does just that.)

Be rational. Be persistent. Keep talking to Congress, sign online petitions, and educate your community. Join with organizations that support HR 676 (like Healthcare Now, Physicians for a National Health Program, or the National Nurses Organizing Committee.) Find out exactly what people object to in the bill, and let Representative Conyers know.

Our current profit driven system is simply not sustainable. We must keep working for change.

To twonursesus:

It is indeed tragic that 18,000 Americans die every year because they do not have health insurance. However, enacting a mandated, government-driven national health care program is not the answer.

I agree with you that the insurance and drug companies are definitely profiting from the situation. But has it occurred to the supporters of this bill that the reason they are profiting is precisely *because* the industry is already so heavily regulated. If regulation was released and insurance companies were forced to actually compete against each other, you would see prices fall dramatically.

Furthermore, a study was done both in England and in the United States, asking a sample of the population how happy they were with their health care. England, where health care is socialized, had overall a poor response. The United States similarly had a poor response when asked the same question. Guess what country had the most positive response when asked about their health care? Singapore, where the country strongly encourages health savings accounts and catastrophic insurance. If you don't use the money saved for your health care issues, it gets inherited to your next-of-kin. And, each person gets to individually choose what level of insurance they want, buy how large their HSA is.

The specifics of the study along with why "keyhole economics" is the right answer to this question can be found in the book "The Undercover Economist" by Tim Harford. Individuals in the health care industry can probably well relate with the idea of "keyhole surgery", as outlined here: http://econlog.econlib.org/archives/2005/11/keyhole_surgery.html .

Monopolies force down skill and force up price. The government is the ultimate monopoly. Don't cover up the problem with an even larger problem.

Wait wait wait... are you saying that the brave folks who work in the medical insurance industry will not be allowed to compete with the government? And that the government will subsume the role that private medical insurers used to fulfill? This bill will, in effect, destroy the medical insurance industry.

This is not acceptable. If the government passes this bill, I hope that people realize what a sham it is and overthrow the government, using continuously escalated methods until the government restores privileges or it is destroyed.

Ooops, I meant rights. Since IT IS OUR RIGHT TO MAKE ECONOMIC CHOICES OF OUR OWN, INCLUDING BUYING AND SELLING MEDICAL INSURANCE!!!!!

The basic principle of a moral government is to protect the rights of the individual and to ban the initiation of physical force from human relationships. Basically, this was the foundation of America by our Founding Fathers. To paraphrase from the Declaration of Independence, that all individuals are endowed with the right to life, liberty, property and the pursuit of happiness.

This Bill, HR 676, The United States National Health Insurance Act would OUTLAW private for profit health care, which means a doctor will be forbidden from opening a private practice, as he would be outlawed from doing so and a patient seeking to hire this doctor's skills would be outlawed. This Bill represents a total inversion of a moral governmnet where the individual cannot act except by permission of the government. THIS Bill IS EVIL because it deprives the individual his liberty and right to think and to act on his own best judgment. This Bill is a LOADED and COCKED GUN aimed at every American whether he is a health-care provider or health-care receiver. This is National Socialism come home to roost by leftist intellectuals and their followers. Is this what you want? A dictatortial government telling you what you can and cannot do? Do you want to sacrifice your very life for a Nazi America? Do you want to suffer slavery and death or to be free to live and pursue your happiness? It is lassiez-faire Capitalism, that promotes life. It is Socialism that promotes death. There is no alternative. It is either one or the other. See history's most cogent examples of such recent destructive socialistic policies, i.e., Nazi Germany, Communist Russia, Communist China, Communist Cuba, Cambodia. There is no viable alternative. Tell all your government representatives to VOTE NO to this sacrilege, this sacrifice of your life for others and their lives for yours in the name of altruism.

The countries with UHC and the satisfaction the people have with UHC, has a directly related to how much that country spends on UHC. With this bill, America would be spending 5 times as much as any other country with UHC. This is per person.

Now spending 5 times as much, doesn't mean much if we don't do it correctly. UHC will need to monitored closely. We'll need to look at all the problems that may arise and have a reasonable solution ready the moment they do.

Erica Abbott
Moms for Universal Health Care
URL: http://www.cafemom.com/group/MomsforUniversalHealthCare

It is nearly a Nazi state that we live in now under the Shrub Crime Family. They put inept people in charge of government agencies and proclaim to the people, "You See, Government is broken, we need the private companies to run things." Then the private firms move in and make all the rules and take all the money.
It makes more sense to me to adopt a European system like in France and England where they make it work.

Someday,sometime, and surley at the end of your life, medical attention will be needed. If there is one thing our government might do for its citizens, that would be to provide access to a medical system to live a healthy productive life. The citizens of America have become so self-centered that even human life is becoming a actuarial commodity, no longer something sacred. I believe Jesus did much healing and never sent a bill. Single payer is and will be a reality in this country as a grass roots effort by the citizenry that gets less and less and less for their tax dollars. I don't know anyone who is worth 63 million dollars per year to head any company. Lets get with it and ask for what we citizens already pay for.

I liked reading some of the articles on the Health Care Reform site:

The Private Insurance industry is about profit, not patients (or better yet "health") Why would they want us to be healthy? They can't make any money if we're healthy? They even charge for their "staying healthy clinics". They have us coming and going.

On the PNHP, Sara Robinson wrote about the Canadian Health System Myths, she said "Maintaining health is not an individual responsibility, but a collective one. Since none of us controls "fate", the least we can do is be there for each other as our numbers come up."

ericj: I don't think the keyhole approach will work with our healthcare system. If only some parts of the healthcare system were broken, maybe a keyhole approach could work. But the very FOUNDATION of the system -- the for-profit insurance companies -- ARE the problem. The foundation needs to be changed or the problem will never go away. On Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), please read this article from Families USA (11/20/2003)that explains the effects of HSAs on business, individuals, and the health care industry. It raises an interesting moral issue. Whose responsibility is it to pay for the health care infrastructure that relatively few of us use at any given time, but all of us want it to be there for us should we need it? the link is: http://familiesusa.org/issues/uninsured/coverage/

AisA: You begin your comment by quoting the Declaration of Independence, that we are all endowed with the "right to life..." In our current health care system, this only seems to apply to those with adequate health insurance, as can be seen on this website: http://www.guaranteedhealthcare.org/your_story In addition, a study focusing on preventable deaths in 19 industrialized countries ranked the U.S. the worst. If our health care system would have performed as well as the top three -- France, Japan, and Australia -- there would have been 101,000 fewer deaths in the U.S. The authors concluded that the large number of Americans who lacked health insurance was "probably a key factor in the poor showing of the United States." (Nolte, E. and McKee, C.M.; January/February 2008. Health Affairs. US has most preventable deaths among 19 nations. Rueters News Service; Washington, Jan. 8, 2008. France best, U.S. worst in preventable death ranking.) By the way, France, Japan, and Australia DO have national health insurance.

Regarding HR 676: it does not outlaw private for-profit health care. It does call for publicly financed, but privately delivered health care. And HR 676 would not restrict ones choice of doctor or facility to those "in network" as most insurance companies currently do.

And finally, I must comment that lives are not being sacrificed in the name of altruism, but they ARE being sacrificed in the name of greed. Note the outrageous salaries of some health insurance CEOs, like United's William McGuire: $37.7 million in 2005 (SEC filings and the AFL-CIO, 2005, 2006. Also, "Executive Paywatch Database" New York Times, 4/9/2006.) Also, read M.D. Linda Peeno's testimony before Congress about how the insurance companies employ physicians to look for ways to deny claims. It can be found on the website: www.hoping4health.com

I can believe this was introduced a year ago and has not moved faster to get approved when in reality this will benefits no only the people who needs the medical attention now like the seniors but those who are young and active and are expose to live, to accidents, to new viruses, diseases, and what about the children? nothing more depressing that a sick kid who can not have a normal life....

keep this moving PLEASE....

Dear twonursesus, Please keep up the good fight. Do not forget the amount of money Mr. McGuire made by back dating stock options (not illegal but failing to disclose so is not very ethical). I have been posting my story on-line for a year now (wall street journal, CNA etc..). I laugh at the proposals like the state of Colorado(where I reside), up for a vote. We are voting that companies that employ over 20 people provide health benefits for the employees. My husband works at a resort in Co. The company has over 6,000 employees. The property he works at has over 300. Just 2 weeks ago, 75% of the full time hourly employees were put back to part time. Don't worry, most will still have full time hours, because there is still work to be done, but this way the company will not have to pay into their retirement , health care, vacation, sick pay etc... There are not alot of jobs out there so people have to put up with this. Full time hours with no benefits.What a scam!

I believe it was Ghandi that said "be the change you wish to see in the world." Now is the time to act. President-elect Obama is soliciting the views of the citizens at this time. There are new Senators and Representatives in Congress. Lets make a big effort to call them, meet with them, write tham and let them know that we support a National Health Insurance. Continue to follow up with them. If they hear from enough voters, those votes might start to speak louder than the dollars springing up out of he pockets of the insurance and drug companies. Just keep at it.
Nancy

Join a local change.gov group and post your suggestions to this group as well. Only with active discussion can we change the heart and minds of those who oppose a single payer system.

http://groups.google.com/group/ActionGuide4SinglePayerHealthcare?hl=en

The health insurance companies have played a major role in our current healthcare crisis. These companies make huge profits and their CEOs make millions, while the rest of us, patients, physicians, employers, and workers alike, face skyrocketing healthcare costs, impossible bureaucracy, and life-diminishing insurance denials.

CONSIDER THE HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANY PROFITS IN 2007:

1. UnitedHealth Group -- $ 4.654 BILLION. UnitedHealth Group owns Oxford, PacifiCare, IBA, AmeriChoice, Evercare, Ovations, MAMSI and Ingenix, a healthcare data company

2. WellPoint -- $ 3.345 BILLION. Wellpoint owns BLUES across the US, including Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wisconsin, Empire HealthChoice Assurance, Healthy Alliance, and many others

3. Aetna Inc. -- $ 1.831 BILLION

4. CIGNA Corp -- $ 1.115 BILLION

5. Humana Inc. -- $ 834 million

6. Coventry Health Care -- $626 million. Coventry owns Altius, Carelink, Group Health Plan, HealthAmerica, OmniCare, WellPath, others

7. Health Net -- $ 194 million

The huge insurance company profits—BILLIONS EACH YEAR—could be used to provide healthcare for millions of people, and to pay physicians adequately for their work.

We need to get the insurance companies OUT of healthcare, so physicians can focus on the care of patients. The only solution is a NON_PROFIT, SINGLE-PAYER HEALTHCARE SYSTEM – and the single payer should not be an insurance company or a group of insurance companies.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE SEE: http://www.pnhp.org/ and http://www.insurancecompanyrules.org/learn_more/the_roster/

Health insurance companies continue make profits and to compensate their executives out of proportion to any known formula

ANNUAL COMPENSATION OF HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANY EXECUTIVES (2006 and 2007 figures):

• Ronald A. Williams, Chair/ CEO, Aetna Inc., $23,045,834
• H. Edward Hanway, Chair/ CEO, Cigna Corp, $30.16 million
• David B. Snow, Jr, Chair/ CEO, Medco Health, $21.76 million
• Michael B. MCallister, CEO, Humana Inc, $20.06 million
• Stephen J. Hemsley, CEO, UnitedHealth Group, $13,164,529
• Angela F. Braly, President/ CEO, Wellpoint, $9,094,771
• Dale B. Wolf, CEO, Coventry Health Care, $20.86 million
• Jay M. Gellert, President/ CEO, Health Net, $16.65 million
• William C. Van Faasen, Chairman, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, $3 million plus $16.4 million in retirement benefits
• Charlie Baker, President/ CEO, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, $1.5 million
• James Roosevelt, Jr., CEO, Tufts Associated Health Plans, $1.3 million
• Raymond McCaskey, CEO, Health Care Service Corp (Blue Cross Blue Shield), $10.3 million
• Daniel P. McCartney, CEO, Healthcare Services Group, Inc, $ 1,061,513
• Daniel Loepp, CEO, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, $1,657,555
• Todd S. Farha, CEO, WellCare Health Plans, $5,270,825
• Michael F. Neidorff, CEO, Centene Corp, $8,750,751
• Daniel Loepp, CEO, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, $1,657,555
• Todd S. Farha, CEO, WellCare Health Plans, $5,270,825
• Michael F. Neidorff, CEO, Centene Corp, $8,750,751

The only way that we all will have affordable, quality care is to get the insurance companies OUT of healthcare! We need a non-profit, SINGLE-PAYER healthcare system now!

Thank you for the postings on the salaries and profits of the insurance companies. They represent a LOT of health care dollars that are not going towards health care. And that doesn't include the wasteful 30% administrative costs generated by the insurance system. Financially, single payer is the only viable option for providing health care for all and for controlling costs.

Please write and call your Congressperson, your Senator, Tom Daschle (proposed health care cabinet member),and President/President-elect Obama and let them know that you want them to support HR 676. Then spread the word and help educate people that single payer is NOT something to fear. For addresses/phone numbers/e-mails:

www.house.gov
www.senate.gov
www.change.gov

WE all need health insurance.

I want to tell my brothers and sisters in the US what my experience has been with universal healthcare.
I am an American living in Europe this past year. I have to rave about the healthcare here in Scandinavia. They do not overschedule the appointments because they are not profit driven. My usual wait time with an appointment has been 0-5 minutes with an appointment, in the US it was usually 30-45 minutes. I have four children, so I go to the doctor quite a bit. There are no papers to fill out, because its all tied to our 'social security' number. The staff everywhere i go is more friendly and relaxed than my experience in the US. We pay a copay as in the US, but not for children. My husband needed a two week stay in the hospital last year and we would have been devastated finacially in the US, but here we were ok. That makes me a better parent for my children knowing we are supported.

The drug companies compete for the government contracts, so capitalism works for us! Hospitals get better prices for their supplies, in the US, i looked at my hospital bills, usually they paid way too much for bandages and ointments!
Then i looked how much the US spends of its GDP for healthcare, it's nearly double what is spent here. I saw the PNHP is about 15,000 physicians who want this type of healthcare in the US. There are also churches, unions, nurses organizations, and business organizations who want this for all of us in the US. The absolute most important thing that i can tell you about it though is the respect for human life and dignity that comes when you know you are taking care of everyone, it's healing. Did I mention the comparison of lifespan and infant mortality rates in the US compared to other industiral nations with universal healthcare? Please call and write your representatives for your families' sake.
I am just so grateful.

Tomorrow, Thursday February 12, 2009, is a national call-your-representative day sponsored by the Progressive Democrats of America. PDA is having these once a month, and the goal is to have so many calls at once that the switchboard gets overwhelmed.

Call your own Congress Member and ask them to cosponsor and promote HR 676: (202) 224-3121.

While you're at it, call your senators and ask them why they don't have a companion bill for HR 676?

And, since Hilda Solis's nomination is looking shaky right now (the LAST thing they want is someone who's pro-labor!), tell all of them you have their backs in supporting Solis's nomination.

Roberta McNair
Gig Harbor, WA