Obama Will Have Single-Payer Advocates At Health Care Summit

[FrenchieCat]

Source: Huffington Post

Obama Will Have Single-Payer Advocates At Health Care Summit

Sam Stein
3/4/09

There has been a lot of speculation over which sides of the health care debate will be present when the Obama White House hosts a summit on the topic this Thursday. Included in that has been concern among advocates of a single-payer system that their voices would not be included at the table.

An administration official put that unease to rest on Wednesday night, telling the Huffington Post that, "single payer advocates will be represented at the forum tomorrow."

Another source with knowledge of the event says: "Rep. John Conyers, Chairman of the Judiciary Committee and a known single payer advocate, and at least one group advocating single payer, will be there as well."

The inclusion of Conyers and at least one other group or individual should quiet, for the moment, the growing chorus of voices who have been openly pressing the White House to be more open-minded to a single-payer system.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/04/obama-will-have-single-pa_n_171994.html

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John Conyers' site:
Single-Payer Health Care
Welcome to the new home for H.R. 676 and the movement for universal, single-payer health care!
http://www.johnconyers.com/healthcare

[OneBlueSky]

1. guess those of us who have been critical of Obama on this issue . . .

were loud enough and obnoxious enough to be heard (sometimes that's what ya gotta do) . . .

this is a good first step in the right direction, so congrats to everyone who has been making noise for the past few weeks . . . we apparently are making a difference . . .

[tavalon]

2. Right action indeed

I am coming to adore President Obama but our job is and will continue to be to watch his back while keeping his feet firmly to the fire when he isn't paying attention. I'm coming to believe that he and his administration are genuinely good but sometimes a little deaf.

[pnwmom]

6. Or maybe you were going off on Obama for nothing? He's not Bush, you know.

Though too many people around here are starting to act as if he is.

[peoli]

12. Agree

[Mojorabbit]

13. I wrote an email

at the white house website asking for this as I am sure many did and I am glad he listened.

[quidam56]

3. We need a cure for health care in America,

especially in East Tennessee where profit care comes ahead of patient care, http://www.wisecountyissues.com

[Kolesar]

4. I heard that Democrats are proposing that one can buy into Medicare if older than 55

It was in the Washington Post last week.

[Larkspur]

5. Medicare needs to be open to everyone regardless of age

If Obama is not going to support single-payer, he needs to make Medicare the government sponsored option to compete with the health insurance companies. That will be the only way, short of single payer, to force health insurance companies to lower premiums and improve the quality of their insurance products.

[pnwmom]

7. I like that idea, too. n/t

[2Design]

10. this sounds good n/t

[bread_and_roses]

8. Good news, and I'm very glad to hear it, and also glad for all the petitions,

letters, phone calls that have been done and made to promote single-payer. As one who has been cyncical and critical on this issue, I'm double-y glad.

[Autumn Colors]

9. He's MAKING us make noise

I believe more and more that like FDR, Obama's feeling to us, the progressives, is I SUPPORT YOUR CAUSES, NOW MAKE ME DO IT.

I think he's an extremely shrewd "poker player" and has been from Day One. He puts things into bills that he KNOWS the Republicans will bitch about and so then when he takes those things out, he shows the public that he's willing to work with them.... by removing things he probably knew would be removed anyway.

As for us, I think he knew we would protest loudly if there were no single-payer representation in the mix, so maybe they made sure that word got out that this side of the issue was "omitted" .... we scream and demand that we be heard .... then it's announced that people/groups representing this side of the issue will be at the summit. End result? News goes out to the American public that a) the call for this (single-payer) was very loud (translation: the public wants this) and b) again, he wants to hear all sides and is willing to work with all sides.

I think he fully intended from the get-go to have single-payer in there, but now we've probably been able to get something out to the rest of the country that shows people (or at least a portion of the people) want this so much that we're willing to make a big noise about it.

I truly think this is a strategy and we should treat it like that and we need to play along and do our part.... which is: we feel snubbed, we make a HUGE noise, we are then included (publicly).

We can't become complacent, but I think we do need to see that this is the role he seems to want us to play and we need to DO IT.

[Maineman]

11. My ideas

By making improvements to my diet (and continuing to get a modest amount of exercise), I lowered my total cholesterol from 201 to 158 in less than one year. No expensive drugs. I do take supplements that may have helped. The way to help citizens be more responsible for their health is to phase out drug coverage for most conditions and elevate the standing of naturopathic physicians and other alternative health care experts. Mainstream medical doctors learn primarily what the pharmaceutical industry wants them to learn – that there is a drug for every symptom.

Single payer coverage can be extended for accidents and a few other conditions such as childhood onset of diabetes and immune disorders. Accident coverage would replace the business expense for workers compensation and the citizen expense for a significant portion of auto insurance costs.

A few years ago, the state of Oregon did a major analysis of which medical procedures actually work well. This might also be a useful guide for what to cover.

Cancer coverage should at least be holistic because apparently quite a few people cure themselves using specialized foods and supplements – often after mainstream medicine has given up on them. I have seen the claim that there are over 300 foods and food based products that fight cancer. I have also heard about a survey of physicians in which a high percentage said they would not undergo chemotherapy themselves or advise it for family members – because it is a terrible experience and does not work all that well. But, it is really expensive. Great for pharmaceutical companies.

Private insurance can still be available to those who wish to pay for their bad health habits, for eating junk, etc. Advertising (public service announcements) can make the point that people can choose to pay for expensive medicine or they can choose good health habits.

Government agencies should be able to negotiate for medicines. If pharmaceutical companies can advertise, then their product is a commodity rather than a necessity.

[annabanana]

15. "quite a few people cure themselves using specialized foods and supplements "

I would have to see some links & stats for that claim.

[annabanana]

14. Like FDR said. . "Make me do it."

We have a friend in the WH.. but he can't do it alone.

[fascisthunter]

16. keep the pressure on folks

it's your job.