Monday, July 20, 2009

Health Care Reform Information

If you are still reading my posts on health care I hope you will check out the following links. It is now or never time for reform and we need to keep reminding our representatives that we want universal coverage. Once the deed is done I promise to get off my soap box.

- Maggie Mahar's comparison of the House and Senate bills

- Full text of the House bill

- CBO's initial analysis of the House bill

- Joe Paduda's summary of the House bill

- Ezra kinda digs the bill, and gives a shout-out to its process

(Note: This is all based on initial review of the bill and other summaries. We'll keep reading ...)

RJ Eskow blogs when he can at:

A Night Light
The Sentinel Effect: Healthcare Blog


The House committee on Education and Labor approved an amendment by Dennis Kuchinich allowing the states to create single-payer health care. Now if it just doesn't get stripped from the final bill.

Congressman Anthony Weiner has an amendment , HR 676, to be voted on today,that would change to word in the bill to Single-payer coverage. Below are the numbers to call for support of his amendment. Please check to see if your representative is among them and call them today. The call is free.

Energy and Commerce Committee Phone: (202) 225-2927, Fax: (202) 225-2525
Henry A. Waxman, CA, Chair Phone: (202) 225-3976, Fax: (202) 225-4099
John D. Dingell, MI Phone: (202) 225-4071, Fax: (202) 226-0371
Edward J. Markey, MA Phone: (202) 225-2836, Fax: (202) 226-0092
Rick Boucher, VA Phone: (202) 225-3861, Fax: (202) 225-0442
Frank Pallone, Jr., NJ Phone: (202) 225-4671, Fax: (202) 225-9665
Bart Gordon, TN Phone: (202) 225-4231, Fax: (202) 225-6887
Bobby L. Rush, IL Phone: (202) 225-4372, Fax: (202) 226-0333
Anna G. Eshoo, CA Phone: (202) 225-8104, Fax: (202) 225-8890
Bart Stupak, MI Phone: (202) 225-4735, Fax: (202) 225-4744
Eliot L. Engel, NY Phone: (202) 225-2464, Fax: (202) 225-5513
Gene Green, TX Phone: (202) 225-1688, Fax: (202) 225-9903
Diana DeGette, CO Phone: (202) 225-4431, Fax: (202) 225-5657
Lois Capps, CA Phone: (202) 225-3601, Fax: (202) 225-5632
Mike Doyle, PA Phone: (202) 225-2135, Fax: (202) 225-3084
Jane Harman, CA Phone: (202) 225-8220, Fax: (202) 226-7290
Jan Schakowsky, IL Phone: (202) 225-2111, Fax: (202) 226-6890
Charles A. Gonzalez, TX Phone: (202) 225-3236, Fax: (202) 225-1915
Jay Inslee, WA Phone: (202) 225-6311, Fax: (202) 226-1606
Tammy Baldwin, WI Phone: (202) 225-2906, Fax: (202) 225-6942
Mike Ross, AR Phone: (202) 225-3772, Fax: (202) 225-1314
Anthony D. Weiner, NY Phone: (202) 225-6616, Fax: (202) 226-0218
Jim Matheson, UT Phone: (202) 225-3011, Fax: (202) 225-5638
G.K. Butterfield, NC Phone: (202) 225-3101, Fax: (202) 225-3354
Charlie Melancon, LA Phone: (202) 225-4031, Fax: (202) 226-3944
John Barrow, GA Phone: (202) 225-2823, Fax: (202) 225-3377
Baron P. Hill, IN Phone: (202) 225-5315, Fax: (202) 226-6866
Doris O. Matsui, CA Phone: (202) 225-7163, Fax: (202) 225-0566
Donna M. Christensen, VI Phone: (202) 225-1790, Fax: (202) 225-5517
Kathy Castor, FL Phone: (202) 225-3376, Fax: (202) 225-5652
John P. Sarbanes, MD Phone: (202) 225-4016, Fax: (202) 225-9219
Christopher S. Murphy, CT Phone: (202) 225-4476, Fax: (202) 225-5933
Zachary T. Space, OH Phone: (202) 225-6265, Fax: (202) 225-3394
Jerry McNerney, CA Phone: (202) 225-1947, Fax: (202) 225-4060
Betty Sutton, OH Phone: (202) 225-3401, Fax: (202) 225-2266
Bruce L. Braley, IA Phone: (202) 225-2911, Fax: (202) 225-6666
Peter Welch, VT Phone: (202) 225-4115, Fax: (202) 225-6790



Here is the nitty gritty.

"There are many models of health care reform from which to choose around the world ‚the vast majority of which perform far better than ours. The one that has been the most tested here and abroad is single-payer," explained Congressman Dennis Kucinich, the Ohio Democrat who proposed the amendment. "Under a single-payer system everyone in the U.S. would get a card that would allow access to any doctor at virtually any hospital.

Doctors and hospitals would continue to be privately run, but the insurance payments would be in the public hands. By getting rid of the for-profit insurance companies, we can save $400 billion per year and provide coverage for all medically necessary services for everyone in the U.S."

7 comments:

Tabor said...

You are a great citizen and I will read this carefully. Promise

Looking to the Stars said...

Sounds good to me! Great post, I also loved your dinner party post :)

Darlene said...

*Tabor - I try.

*Looking to the Stars - Thank you.

Vagabonde said...

This is a great idea, but in this country with such powerful insurance companies and wealthy pharmaceutical companies, I don’t think it will happen. Rather than thinking about what is good for the health of the people, the companies are afraid to lose some profits. I hope I am wrong but most people listen to the lying ads on TV and believe them and get scared. It's going to be a hard battle.

Anil P said...

I do hope it will be possible to have inclusive healthcare, with everyone, whatever their station in life might be, having access to doctors and affordable healthcare.

Darlene said...

*Vagabonde - Sad, but true.

*AnilP - I hope so too, but it's looking dismal again.

Rain Trueax said...

Single payer is not on the radar right now. It should be and the talk of socialized medicine and fear of government control comes from those who have government insurance and what about our veteran's health care which is all what they are saying we should fear. We have to really hold tight on the need for a public option and the Republicans are fighting even that.