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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Washington, DC
Washington, DC--A lobby day and rally to celebrate Medicare's 44th birthday will take place Thursday, July 30. Supporters from across the country will deliver cupcakes and cards to all members of Congress reminding them that the solution to our healthcare crisis is made right here in America, it's called Medicare. The cupcake drop will be followed by a rally with speakers from a diverse coalition of unions, faith leaders, human rights advocates and medical professionals. The rally will be followed by lobby visits by activists to their Representatives and Senators.
Medicare, this country's health care program for the elderly and people with disabilities, is nearly half a century old as it turns 44 on July 30th. Enacted in 1965, it has become one of this country's most successful and popular programs.
With 3% administrative costs, the majority of Americans see its expansion, along with much-needed improvements, as the best solution to our health care meltdown. A single, publicly funded system like Medicare would replace the waste of the for-profit private insurance industry and create savings of $400 billion a year by streamlining administration, and implementing bulk purchase of drugs and medical equipment and global budgeting for hospitals. These savings are enough to extend comprehensive access to health care to the 50 million uninsured, and improve health care coverage for everyone.
Industry trade groups, such as the AMA, claim that a single-payer system would be too disruptive, but Dr. Margaret Flowers, a pediatrician and health reform advocate, explains "Medicare for all is the only health reform that will allow patients and doctors to make medical decisions based on what is right for the patient's health rather than what profits the health insurers the most. And it will allow doctors to spend more time with patients and less time fighting with insurance companies."
Under the umbrella coalition, the Leadership Conference for Guaranteed Healthcare, people, unions, faith leaders, human rights advocates and medical professionals from across the country and buses from the surrounding region will be descending on Capitol Hill to lobby and rally for this much-needed relief to a worsening healthcare crisis. The coalition of varied interests will call for an elimination of the profit interests in the industry and in Medicare, and the expansion to include everyone. This could be done through the passage of HR 676 or S 703, two pieces of single-payer legislation with growing support in the public and in Congress.
As President Obama says, "We must build on what works and leave out what doesn't." Medicare is a system that has a successful track record, with public opinion polls consistently showing clear majority support for a Medicare for All system, and 59% of physicians now favor it.
"The corporate healthcare lobby is spending $1.4 million a day to persuade Congress that there is no need for publicly funded healthcare," said Tim Carpenter, Progressive Democrats of America national director. "With money like that being spent to stop real reform of our healthcare system, we hope to show Congress on July 30 that the American people want publicly-funded, privately delivered healthcare in the form of Medicare for All."
Leaders in the single-payer movement urge people to get out and stand up for single-payer national health care. "Until we remove the perverse incentives of profit-making from health care it is impossible for Congress to deliver real reform. Single-payer is the only way to achieve quality, guaranteed care for everyone at the same cost we currently pay," states Katie Robbins, HealthCare-NOW!.
The event is sponsored by the Leadership Conference for Guaranteed Healthcare including California Nurses Association , Progressive Democrats of America, Physicians for a National Health Program, Healthcare-NOW!, General Board of Church and Society of the United Methodist Church, Public Citizen, NOW. For a full list of sponsors, visit http://www.healthcare-now.org/campaigns/single-payer-rally/
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For more information contact:
Tim Carpenter, PDA Executive Directormailto:Tim@pdamerica.org, Tim@pdamerica.org, (413)-320-2015
Donna Smith, California Nurses Association, donnas@calnurses.org, (202)974-8300
Dr. Margaret Flowers, Physicians for a National Health Program, nose1@aol.com, 410-591-0892
Katie Robbins, Healthcare-NOW!, healthcarenow08@gmail.com, (330) 618-6379
Mark Dudzic, Labor Campaign for Single Payer, dudzic@thelaborparty.org, 201-314-2653
Progressive Democrats of America is a grassroots PAC that works both inside the Democratic Party and outside in movements for peace and justice. Our goal in 2009: Expand progressive influence in Congress as we build on our 2008 electoral successes. PDA's advisory board includes seven members of Congress and activist leaders such as Tom Hayden, Medea Benjamin, Thom Hartmann, Jim Hightower, and Lila Garrett. More info: http://pdamerica.org.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Laura Bonham, PDA Communications Coordinator
Phone: 435-336-2123
Tim Carpenter, Executive Director
Toll Free: 877-239-2093
