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PNHPWW July 23rd Meeting
Debate: Is the Public/Private Model for health care reform, as proposed by Sen. Barack Obama and others, a real step towards sustainable health care for all?
Participants:
* Bob Crittenden, MD – Prof & Chief of Family Med, Harborview Med Center, Exec Director Herndon Alliance
* Bill Daley, Legislative Director, Washington Community Action Network (WaCAN)
* Larry Kalb, President Health Care for All Washington
* David McLanahan, MD, PNHPWW Coordinator & PNHP National Board member
Moderator:
* Don Mitchell, MD – Chair PNHPWW
This meeting will be devoted to discussion of a burning issue for single-payer supporters as to how to position ourselves vis-ŕ-vis the public/private model of health care reform being pushed as the "unity position” of new large health care reform coalitions. As usual, it will be held at Swed/Prov/Cherry Hill Campus Conference Center at 7 – 8:30 PM (directions - http://www.pnhpwesternwashington.org/PAGES/swed_prov_directions.htm)
We are very fortunate to have a quality panel to discuss this potential “fault line” between us and many of our friends in the movement for real health care reform. The “mini debate” on this critical issue will cover questions such as “Is the public/private model a good thing?” “Is it a necessary step in the direction of eventual single-payer national health insurance that we should support?” “Is it dangerous as it may delay critically needed reform for many years?”
Washington Health Care Caucuses: Speaking Up for Quality, Affordable Health Care
Healthy Washington Coalition sponsored Town Hall Meetings held 6/19
Teresita Batayola, Executive Director of International Community Health Services addresses the crowd
Participants line up at microphone
More than 350 people turned out to discuss the values they think most important in health care reform legislation. It was a successful and important meeting bringing together lots of different organizations with the same goal of providing health care for ALL Washingtonians
Robby Stern, HWC President, reported that “the discussion of the values was heart felt, insightful, passionate, and articulate. It could have gone on longer but many many people got the opportunity to speak.” Although not focused on the 5 specific reform proposals in the Health Care Working Group legislation at this point, it was very encouraging to single-payer advocates in that it was obvious that SP was the overwhelming favorite solution of the participants. The next round of public meetings early next year, after the economic/quality analysis is completed, will focus on the specific proposals. This round will be financed by the HCWG legislation and should draw significant attention from our legislators and media. More info - HWC Press Release on meeting
Download Health Care Caucuses flyer
The Washington State Legislature passed and Gov Gregoire signed Senate Bill 6333 (Health Care Working Group) in February with a budget of $1.2 million. It requires that the State contract with an independent consultant with expertise in health economics and actuarial science to conduct a comparative evaluation of 5 health care proposals. After the study results are in – projected to be on December 15th, 2008 - a series of meetings will be held across the state where citizens can review the results and express their opinions on the path reform should take. Please see the RFP SB 6333 for study requirement details. However, the public meetings sponsored by the Legislature will not take place until May-June 2009, the final Working Group report not be submitted until November 2009, and the Legislature would not act on recommendations until the 2010 session. PNHPWW, WHSC, WaCAN, and other HWC coalition partners agree that the bill’s timeline is way, way too extended. HWC is taking the lead in sponsoring its own public meetings for this summer as described below. The dates and proposed meeting format:
All these community meetings will be from 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Future Caucuses:
Tacoma - July 1, Temple Beth El, 5975 S. 12th St., 98465
Yakima - July 15, Holy Family Catholic Church, 5022 W. Chestnut St., 98908
Spokane - July 29, First Presbyterian Church, 318 S. Cedar St., , 99201 (Still awaiting final confirmation of availability of site)
Bellevue - August 12, Temple Bnai Torah, 15727 NE 4th St., 98001
Everett - September 9, Everett Station, Weyerhauser Room, 3201 Smith Avenue, 98201
Vancouver - September 23, Clark PUD Community Room, 1200 Fort Vancouver Way
The public hearing format is still in development, but will include a presentation on the current status of health care in Washington State, a presentation on the 5 proposals studied, and an interactive discussion of values/principles attendees think most important to include in reform legislation. There will be handouts of suggested questions for electorial candidates, and petitions to submit to elected officials
“By taking this action,” said Dr. Quentin Young, national coordinator of PNHP, “the mayors have put, in the boldest way, single-payer national health insurance on top of the domestic agenda, squarely in the middle of the legislative and presidential elections.”
Read Resolution
Did Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels support this resolution??? - Ask him!
What about other Western Washington mayors?
Great New Video on Single Payer
Health Care Reform
California State Senator Sheila Kuehl with OneCare Card
New PNHP National Campaign
We invite you to join in endorsing the “Open Letter to the Presidential Candidates” on single payer national health insurance. After gathering endorsements, we will release the letter to the media and publish it, along with a list of signers, as an advertisement in major newspapers and magazines nationally and locally. So far, more than 2000 physicians, health professionals, and other health justice advocates have signed on - 79 from Washington State. For info on the letter, other signers, and to sign click here
The information You Need to Remain Up-To-Date on Health Care Reform:
This Week's Perspectives in Health Care Reform
Larry Kalb, President, Health Care for All Washington, selects the best weekly information on health care reform
Listserve free subscription - http://www.newseattle.net/HCFA-WA/perspectiveemail.html
Quote of the Day
 For invaluable daily current health care reform information and analysis read PNHP Senior Staff Policy Analyst Don McCanne's Quote of the Day
Listserve free subscription http://two.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/quote-of-the-day
Donations to PNHPWW are accepted through Democracy in Action. Click here to donate to PNHP Western Washington Chapter (Select "Educational Projects" on the pull down menu)
New - PNHPWW Lending Library
We have books on health care reform and health related topics of interest as well as some DVD's. These can be borrowed for one month, first come, first served. They can be picked up at meetings or by email request (pay postage). Some of these books are new and for sale.
For a list of Books and DVD click here
If you have books you would like to donate to the library, please do so.
The prestigious American College of Physicians (ACP), the nation's second largest medical association (124,000 members), endorsed single payer national health insurance as "one pathway" to universal coverage. This is the first time the group has endorsed single payer and represents a huge step forward in the movement for fundamental health care reform.
The ACP position paper “Achieving a High-Performance Health Care System with Universal Access: What the United States Can Learn from Other Countries” notes that single payer systems have the advantage of being "more equitable, have lower administrative costs, have lower per capita health care expenditures, have higher levels of patient satisfaction, and have higher performance on measures of quality and access than systems using private health insurance."
David Dale, MD is now President of the ACP and spokesman for the position paper. He is a UW physician. Dr. Dale will addressed our January monthly meeting.
Quentin Young on the significance of this endorsement and recommendations for PNHP'ers to follow up this opening
The Commonwealth Fund recently released a paper “A Roadmap to Health Insurance for All: Principles for Reform." This paper compares and contrasts the three major approaches to HC reform based on 10 criteria. It reaches conclusions very similar to the ACP paper noted above. Clearly, the conservative "Tax Incentive and Individual Insurance Market" approach does not measure up. The "Mixed Private-Public Group Insurance" model meets all the criteria, but not as well as the "Public Insurance" model EXCEPT for the criteria of “Minimize Dislocation, Ability to Keep Current Coverage.”
PNHPWW June Meeting/Monthly Report
PNHPWW July Calendar
 The Presidential Candidates Health Care Reform proposals
View/Download the Rockridge white paper "The Logic of the Health Care Debate"
From its Introduction: "This analysis presents something new and important: a distinction among three modes of thought — progressive, conservative, and neoliberal"
Ramon Bernal, Seattle's first student at the Latin American School of Medicine
 Cuba trains physicians from the Carribean, Central and South America, Africa, and the United States at the free Latin American School of Medicine in Havana (ELAM), the largest medical school in the world. Students make a commitment to return to their underserved communities after graduation. There are now 110 US student studying at ELAM.
Ramon Alejandro Bernal in now in Havana, becoming the first student from Seattle to receive the opportunity for a free medical education at ELAM. PNHPWW has committed to support this outstanding individual as he persues his MD degree.
Ramon will return to Seattle July 24th to September 1st. We hope to have him speak at our August 29th meeting - stay tuned
Click for info about Ramon and his monthly reports from Havana as he progresses (now 9 reports with photos)
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n, MD, is Professor Emeritus of Family Medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle. He has spent 25 years in academic family medicine. He is Past President of Physicians for National Health Program (PNHP) and a PNHPWW Board member. John has written several books that are indespensible for understanding the roots of our health care crisis, its current condition, and what must be done to achieve a just and sustainable replacement. You can find information about his books and ordering information by following these links - 
e Fein, PNHP President-Elect,