Solidarity Rallies

In unity rallies held on June 19, citizens from throughout Pennsylvania and across the United States declared Health Care YES! Health Insurance Companies NO! Protesting the wasteful insurance company model (about 30 cents of every health care dollar goes for overhead, not to provide health care), they demanded superior health care through the elimination of the costly middlemen insurance companies. A more efficient and comprehensive model, espoused in Congressional House Resolution 676 (Expanded and Enhanced Medicare for All) and in the Pennsylvania Family and Business Health Care Security Act (House Bill 1660/Senate Bill 300) [not Rendell or Republican proposals] uses only about 3 cents of every health care dollar for overhead. What’s more, these single-payer, publicly-funded, privately-provided approaches offer a full range of medical benefits second to none.

Universal health care, like universal K-12 education, is a social good. Like universal K-12 education, it must be a public, not-for-profit enterprise. As long as health insurance is a commodity, the marketplace will prevent it from being available to all (universal). Costs will be unsustainable. Denials of treatment, rejection of large claims, and insuring only the healthy (cherry-picking) will continue to be profit-making practices. Though immoral and reprehensible, these practices are necessary components of profit-first marketplace economics. This is not a system that Americans, in good conscience, can continue to support.

Pronouncing our resolve to achieve this much-needed reform, Chuck Pennacchio, Executive Director of Health Care for All Pennsylvania, speaking in Philadelphia on behalf of 5,000 citizen volunteers, said, “We citizens of Pennsylvania declare an end to the profit-first health insurance company CEOs and underwriters who literally hijack health care from patients and providers, leave 40% of us uninsured or under-insured, and 98% of us vulnerable to bankruptcy in cases of medical catastrophe.”

“In stark contrast to the profit-first health insurer rip-offs and service denials,” added Pennacchio, “we Pennsylvanians - gathered at this hour in five cities in our great Commonwealth - call for immediate adoption of Single-Payer Universal Health Care legislation in Harrisburg and Washington, DC. PA House Bill 1660 and Senate Bill 300, known as the Family and Business Health Care Security Act, is ready for passage in Harrisburg, whereupon Governor Rendell has publicly, and repeatedly, promised he will sign it into law. Pennsylvania’s great success will then serve as the Single-Payer model that our nation has hungered for ever since President Franklin Roosevelt (in 1944), and Harry Truman concretely proposed (in 1945), a national health care policy for all, through a system of public funding and private delivery. Congressman John Conyers’ HR 676 represents the soon-to-be realized vision of FDR and Harry Truman.”

The rallies in Pennsylvania and elsewhere were held in solidarity with the thousands in San Francisco who gathered outside the Moscone Center, location of the national convention of health insurance executives. Pennsylvania led the nation in rallies for sane, civilized health care reform. Of the 19 rallies held across the country on June 19, five of them took place in Pennsylvania cities. That reflects positively on the support in our state for the PA Family and Business Health Care Security Act (HB1660/SB300). (See: Be a Single-Payer Health Care Ambassador). From noon to 1pm on Thursday, June 19, Pennsylvanians gathered in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Allentown, and Wilkes-Barre, hearing addresses from health care professionals, business owners, union members, religious leaders, legislators, legislative candidates, and patients.

Approximately 250 people assembled in Philadelphia in front of Cigna Insurance Corporation to let the insurance industry know they would rather have single-payer health care than the insurance company dollar-driven system. A call to action in Pittsburgh to “stop the institutional madness that is killing, injuring, and bankrupting hard-working Pennsylvanians as they struggle to pay their health care bills” drew a crowd of about 150. Several dozen convening in Allentown took it directly to the insurance industry, holding their rally in front of the Blue Cross office. An equal number gathered on the steps of the Capitol to hear a host of speakers. The Wilkes-Barre group assembled in Public Square and heard from a variety of speakers before walking to Northeast Blue Cross to voice their dissatisfaction with the health insurance industry.

The Rally in Harrisburg

We joined the dozens of health care reform advocates in Harrisburg for an exciting and moving event. In addition to Health Care for All Pennsylvania, the Harrisburg rally was also sponsored by the Pennsylvania Council of Churches, Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals (PASNAP/NNOC), Health Care - NOW!, Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP), Pennsylvanians United for Single-Payer Health Care (PUSH), Western Pennsylvania Coalition for Single-Payer Health Care, and the American Medical Students Association.

Jerry Policoff, Director of Communications for Health Care for All PA, hosted the program. He noted that the single-payer bills in the Pennsylvania House and Senate (HB1660/SB300) have been endorsed by the Pennsylvania Council of Churches, the Pennsylvania League of Women Voters, and the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO. Next, he read a message of support from Donna Smith, whose financial woes forcing her and her husband to lose their home and move into a daughter’s storage room, were chronicled in Michael Moore’s documentary, SiCKO. Among her kind words of support, Donna said, “… I am very proud to be sending my best wishes to the Keystone State and to all my fellow single-payer advocates. The single-payer movement in Pennsylvania is impressive and leading the way for the other states …From sea to shining sea, from coast to coast, from the hallowed halls of Philadelphia where our democracy was first conceived, to the rugged shoreline where early settlers carved out their fortunes, 21st century Americans are joining in the fight of their generation for justice and decency, common sense and fiscal sanity surrounding health care.”

How did the world allow such a system of exploitation of people?

Representing Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP) was Dr. Bill Davidson, a central Pennsylvania cardiologist for nearly 30 years. Dr. Davidson stressed that PA single-payer bills, HB1660/SB300, will get rid of exploitation by the private insurance industry. He shared an account of a patient who lost continuity of care and was forced to travel greater distances for care because of decisions by his health insurance company. Lack of health insurance results in 25,000 needless deaths in the U.S. annually, and financial difficulties caused by excessive medical bills result in bankruptcy, according to Dr. Davidson. He reminded us that we must break the control of health care by powerful money interests and praised health care reform advocates for being part of the movement for change. “I’m proud to know you,” Dr. Davidson said. He posed this analogy: Looking back on the slave trade we now ask, “How did the world allow such a system of exploitation of people? A couple of decades from now people will look back on our present health care system and wonder the same thing.”

Paper-pushers overrule physicians

Dr. J.K. Kreider of the Pennsylvania Council of Churches thanked the main sponsors of Senate Bill 300 and House Bill 1660, Senator Jim Ferlo and Representative Kathy Manderino, and urged all legislators to co-sponsor these bills. He lauded the bills’ provision for individual choice and private delivery of care. In our current health insurance company system, paper-pushers overrule physicians and don’t provide health care, Dr. Kreider declared. He said that millions are under-insured while health insurance company CEOs make millions of dollars. Citing attorney, Steven Larchuk, one of the authors of HB1660/SB300, he named a host of groups who would benefit from passage of these bills: “all consumers, physicians, older citizens, small businesses, farmers, school boards, large businesses, and even the court system. Of course, insurance companies and drug companies would lose their advantage.” Dr. Kreider strongly believes that Pennsylvania will show the way to achieve health care reform to the rest of the country.

Approached by constables who came to arrest her for not filing paperwork on time

Kate Loving Shenk, a nurse from Lancaster, attacked Gov. Rendell’s PA-ABC (Adult Basic) health care proposal saying his plan makes a bad situation worse and insisted that PA single-payer HB1660/SB300 are the answers to what ails health care in Pennsylvania. Ms. Shenk cited reasons people find themselves without health insurance such as becoming unemployed, starting a new business, or returning to school to further one’s education. She offered many illustrations of negative patient outcomes and financial consequences due to decisions of health insurance companies or lack of coverage. An example was the story of Merle Kuznik whose daughter, Mary Beth spoke later in the program. The elderly Kuznik was frightened and humiliated when, lying in a hospital bed, she was approached by constables who came to arrest her for not filing paperwork on time to get her medical bills paid. One group that falls through the cracks regarding medical coverage, said Ms. Shenk, is single mothers. She went on to cite specific issues with this demographic.

What can be done about this depressing and unacceptable situation? Kate Shenk said the next step in reaching our health care reform goal is to have the legislature fund an economic impact study, the results of which we are confident will make the case for passage of HB1660/SB300.

Many politicians who have forgotten how to think big

We were thrilled that William J. Mackey (D), candidate for PA House of Representatives from the 124th district (parts of Berks and Schuylkill counties), courageously and enthusiastically stepped forth to offer his support for our bills. He correctly pointed out that public single-payer health care is an important cause and that it is simply the right thing to do. Mackey finds this reform particularly appealing because it will protect Pennsylvania jobs, reduce the cost of prescription drugs, provide comprehensive care for all, and reduce administrative costs. He believes, as do we, that HB1660/SB300 act as an economic stimulus (Need An Economic Stimulus? Try Health Care Reform) and that it is a win-win situation for people over corporations. Another important advantage is that this legislation will remove health care coverage as an issue in collective bargaining.

So if it’s such a good deal, why has it not been enacted? Mackey offers a simple and accurate assessment: “1. Many politicians who have forgotten how to think big, who put Band-aids on health care issues to get themselves through another election, many politicians who are out of touch, who have their own taxpayer-funded health care plan that ordinary citizens could only dream of. 2. Insurance companies and their lobbyists who fight single-payer health care to protect their greedy, profit-driven system.” Mackey urges everyone to contact their Pennsylvania state legislators to support HB1660/SB300. We must support Bill Mackey’s campaign. We need him in the state legislature. www.billmackey.us

Next on the agenda was Mary Beth Kuznik, daughter of the aforementioned Merle Kuznik who was threatened with arrest when constable arrived at her hospital room. Not only did our broken system cause her that humiliation, but insurance company doctors hundreds of miles away cut her very necessary and successful pain therapy. No wonder the Kuzniks support public single-payer health care reform. As is the case with so many Pennsylvanians, the younger Kuznik has no health insurance.

Jerry Policoff opened the program to comments from attendees who wished to share health care stories. A few people told of their own or a friend’s experiences needing extensive hospital care while traveling abroad in Europe, receiving excellent care for little ($10) or no cost.

In a most moving testimonial, Connie Werner, a disabled woman who, fortunately, has health insurance, told with heartbreaking sadness the predicaments of loved ones whose lack of insurance compounded already serious health problems. In a particularly poignant moment, Werner said, “I’m disabled and can’t work. I always wondered: Why was I born? What was I here for? The answer is getting health care for every man, woman, and child in this country. Health care is my passion!”

Media Coverage

Many thanks to CommonSense2.com editor, Chuck Brown, for giving this story such prominence in the July issue and to Pennsylvania Cable Network (PCN) for recording the Harrisburg rally and airing it several times. Public Radio Capital News reporter Tanya English also covered the Harrisburg rally.

The important single-payer health care message is often ignored or covered cursorily by the mainstream media (keep in mind health insurance companies, as advertisers, are revenue sources for msm). Scant media coverage, however, is better than no coverage at all, so the media response is an improvement over our previous attempts to educate the public. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh Times-Review, the Wilkes-Barre Citizens Voice, and the Mt. Airy Times Express/Germantown Courier gave the rallies some coverage as did online The Pennsylvania Progressive. The Pennsylvania Legislative Services issued The Pennsylvania Letter Volume 13 Number 300 on June 19 with rather thorough coverage in an article by Jason Gottesman, Single-Payer Advocates Rally at Capitol. WFMZ Channel 69 News showed about 30 seconds of the Allentown event. The Allentown Morning Call, the Harrisburg Patriot and the Philadelphia Inquirer were missing in action.

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What You Can Do

The fight for public single-payer health care is certainly a David versus Goliath battle, but you know how that one turned out. With your help we can conquer the oppressive, corporate-run health insurance industry. Here’s what you can do:

1) Contact your state senator (SB 300) and state representative (HB 1660) and ask them to support and co-sponsor the PA single-payer bills.

2) Since HB 1660 sits in the Health and Human Services Committee, www.legis.state.pa.us/ call the members of that committee and ask each one to:
…..a) support HB 1660
…..b) support funding for an economic impact study which we are confident will make the case for passage of the bill.

3) Go to HealthCare4ALLPA , become a member and contribute to this very worthy cause.

4) Be sure you do not miss Chuck Brown’s editorial, An Open Letter to Governor Ed Rendell, where Chuck superbly makes the case for supporting PA single-payer, HB 1660/SB 300 to the Governor.

Health Care Yes! Health Insurance Companies–No!

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