Why Is Single Payer Not Front and Center?

President Obama hosted a White House summit Thursday on reforming healthcare. While President Obama said every idea must be considered, the idea of creating a single-payer national health insurance program appears to have already been rejected. We speak to Harper’s senior editor Luke Mitchell, author of the article “Sick in the Head: Why America Won’t Get the Health-Care System It Needs.”

Listen/Watch/Read:

http://www.democracynow.org/2009/3/6/as_obama_hosts_summit_on_health

Sharpen Your Skills for EFCA Battle

Western PA Unions Set
EFCA Training Session

The Northwest and Southwest Pennsylvania Area Labor Federations are offering a joint training seminar, conducted by Dave Carpio, AFL-CIO Political Department, on speaking to fellow members, constituency groups, allies and the media about the Employee Free Choice Act.

WHEN: Saturday, March 14, 2009
TIME: 9:00 a.m.  ?  Noon
WHERE: IBEW Local 5 (Apprentice Classroom)

5 Hot Metal Street Pittsburgh, PA 15203 Morning Refreshments Free Parking in the lot across from IBEW Local 5.

New Location due to St.  Patrick?s Day Parade in Downtown Pittsburgh For further information and to RSVP contact:

Dave Vinski at 412-562-2428 or swpaalf@verizon.net Jeff Calvin at 724-977-4422 or jlcalvin1@verizon.net

Springfield, Missouri.  

The Greater Springfield Area Central Labor Council has endorsed HR 676, single payer healthcare legislation
introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).

The Springfield Council is the 120th central labor council to endorse HR 676.

The Council’s resolution stated, “Administrative waste stemming from our reliance on private insurers consumes one-third of health spending,” and Bradley Stokes, Council President, added, “We recognize everyone in
America deserves access to affordable quality health care and strongly feel HR 676 can provide this.”

The Greater Springfield Area Council represents 10,000 working men and women in Southwest Missouri.  Stokes is the Business Manager/Financial Secretary of IBEW Local 753.

HR 676 has been endorsed by 485 union organizations in 49 states including 120 Central Labor Councils and Area Labor Federations and 39 state AFL-CIO’s (KY, PA, CT, OH, DE, ND, WA, SC, WY, VT, FL, WI, WV, SD, NC, MO, MN, ME, AR, MD-DC, TX, IA, AZ, TN, OR, GA, OK, KS, CO, IN, AL, CA, AK, MI, MT, NE, NY, NV & MA).

For further information, a list of union endorsers, or a sample endorsement resolution, contact:

Kay Tillow
All Unions Committee For Single Payer Health Care–HR 676
c/o Nurses Professional Organization (NPO)
1169 Eastern Parkway, Suite 2218
Louisville, KY 40217
(502) 636 1551
Email: nursenpo@aol.com
http://unionsforsinglepayerHR676.org

Lexington, Kentucky.  At its February meeting the Executive Board of the
Bluegrass Central Labor Council voted to endorse HR 676, single payer
health care legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).

Council President Barbara Pierce said:  “The Board of the CLC endorsed HR
676, single payer universal health care, because we firmly believe that
it’s the best plan for working families.”

The Bluegrass CLC, which represents workers in nine counties in Central
Kentucky, is the 119th CLC to endorse HR 676.   Six out of eight central
labor councils in Kentucky, in addition to the state AFL-CIO, have
endorsed HR 676.

President Pierce said that the council will send the resolution to
Representative Ben Chandler, who represents the region in the US Congress.

from New York Times

by Andrew Coates MD

COBRA is a law that allows you to keep your employer-sponsored health
insurance for 18 months if you lose or change jobs. To do so, you have to
pay 102% of the cost (the full premium plus a 2% surcharge).

The stimulus package just passed provides for laid off workers, who had
health insurance on the job, to receive a subsidy of 65% of the health
insurance premium for up to nine months.

Continue reading Subsidizing COBRA Is Not Enough–We Need HR 676: National Health Care →