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Latest News
For the latest news, analysis and opinion on health reform legislation, check the PNHP national web site at www.pnhp.org
PNHPWW August 18th Meeting
 We were fortunate to have Hank Abrons, MD, Chair of Executive Committee PNHP California and member of the PNHP National Board as our speaker who will appear on the big screen via Skype. Hank’s talk, “Single Payer Strategy – the PNHP - California Chapter Moves Forward” Hank bought us up to date about the reorganization of the California chapter and its preliminary work plan for 2010, and beyond, that offers us lots of useful ideas. He also described the current status or state single payer legislation in California and provided insights into our organization.
You will also find descriptions of and links to recent PNHPWW activities in the:
PNHPWW September 15th Meeting
Deborah Senn Guest Speaker
 Deborah Senn was the Washington State Insurance Commissioner from 1993–2001. As commissioner, she took an unyielding consumer advocate's approach to the insurance companies she regulated, which earned her praise from Ralph Nader, who called her "the best insurance commissioner in the United States."
Senn fought for tougher industry regulations that prohibited insurance companies from screening out new customers because of pre-existing conditions and from canceling coverage when customers changed jobs or got sick, increasing access to health insurance. The number of people covered by health insurance increased every year she was in office.
Because of her effectiveness, the insurance industry struck back with a lobbying campaign such that the governor and the Legislature agreed to strip the Washington State insurance commissioner of the right to regulate rates in the individual market. That right has recently been restored to Ins. Commissioner Mike Kreidler.
We have asked Ms Senn to discuss her take on what state insurance commissioners are likely to do regarding P-PACA. Is there enough power there to really take on the insurance industry and make a difference? Of course, as PNHP is committed to single payer, Medicare for All, we'd like to hear if she thinks there is a way the commissioners could help us move down the road to single payer at the state level.
Next meeting - Wednesday, September 15th, 7PM in the Swedish/Cherry Hill Campus Conference Center Auditorium
Demonstration in front of the Sheraton Hotel
Monday, August 16th at 12:00 noon
The occasion was the quarterly meeting of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, converging on Seattle from all across the country. A most important agenda item was how the Commissioners will interpret and enforce the regulations of the new health care legislation. 1400 lobbyists representing the medical industrial complex were also there to make sure their interests were strongly represented. Our message asked the Commissioners “Which Side are You On?” - The Corporations or We the People? Single payer activists from PNHPWW, HCFA-Wa, United for Single Payer, Single Payer Vashon and the Backbone Campaign carried signs, leafleted, and did media-friendly street theater with giant puppets. Singing was led by Bob Wickline.
US ELAM Delegation Dinner
 
Wendell Potter stops by
MM pulls Commissioner Myers to The People's side
Bob Wickline's Medicare for All Media Campaign
Bob Wickline has produced a great 60 second musical media ad that he has placed on talk radio AM 1090. This ad can be varied to support publicity for local activities in the future - click here
www.pnhp.org/change
Click below to watch the single payer video montage put together and sung by BobWickline and family:
United for Single Payer
United for Single is a coalition of individuals committed to continuing to advocate for single payer as the gold standard and to work together to build and amplify our strength and impact. The focus of activities is on our representatives and building grassroots support for the only real hope for achieving health care justice.
The USP Web Site is www.unitedforsinglepayer.org
More than $6000 has been raised
for ads, events, signs, rallies or other actions.
The information You Need to Remain Up-To-Date on Health Care Reform:
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
Noteworthy Literature
Frontline “Sick Around the World” This PBS program by TR Reid looks at other HC systems in 5 countries and the different ways they guarantee coverage, finance HC and control costs. The obvious contrasts with the US are pointed out. It’s low-key, more of a “here’s the information & draw your own conclusions” rather than pushing a solution for the US. It’s well worth watching – you can stream the whole thing to your computer at: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/sickaroundtheworld/view/main.html
“Support for National Health Insurance among American Physicians: Five Years Later,” - Aaron E. Carroll and Ronald T. Ackermann, Annals of Internal Medicine, April 2008. A study published in Annals of Internal Medicine reports that a survey conducted last year of 2,193 physicians across the United States showed 59 percent of them “support government legislation to establish national health insurance,” while 32 percent oppose it and 9 percent are neutral. The findings reflect a leap of 10 percentage points in physician support for national health insurance (NHI) since 2002
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." .
Quentin Young on the significance of this endorsement
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, 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 is in his third year at ELAM, now acquiring clinical skills and taking care of patients.
Click for info about Ramon and his monthly reports from Havana as he progresses (now 26 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 - 