Just the Facts
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Happy Monday Healthcare Advocates
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Facts Matter Period
As some of you know I was a mathematician and aerospace engineer for most of my life. Of course in mathematics, you have to be able to prove that something is correct. When I became an engineer, at Hughes Aircraft, we were taught that all decisions were to be made based on facts and data. I know that we can only absorb so many at once and that’s why this newsletter takes about 5 minutes to read and actions take about a minute. When discussing policy it is always best to have the facts at your fingertips.
Thanks to a friend and subscriber, Irene, for pointing out to me that not everyone has the facts straight about Universal Healthcare. Let’s clear it up. We can have a discussion on the best way to solve problems, but as we do in Aerospace, we have to use facts and data to evaluate the solution space, not feelings.
First, HR 3421, Improved Medicare for All was proposed by Representative Pramila Jayapal. It has a two year implementation plan. It is public insurance to pay medical providers. Private insurance companies play no part. They may offer other optional non-conflicting insurance but not this coverage. That is fairly in common in most countries that have Universal Healthcare. Here is a link to the text at congress.gov
PROBLEM: About half of us get our insurance through our work. When we lose our jobs, we lose that insurance. You could buy COBRA to take its place or an ACA plan, but let’s be clear, they are really expensive - like $24,000 for a family. Many were sickened and died due to lost jobs and lost insurance during the pandemic. Let’s not repeat that mistake.
LESSON: Don’t tie insurance to something that could be tenuous like work.
PROBLEM: About 20% of the US population lives in rural America. That’s about 66 million people. It is rally hard to live far from healthcare facilities and providers. Since 2005 over 150 hospitals have closed in rural ares in the US. Part of the hospital’s problem is that not everyone who goes to the hospital has insurance or can pay and they wind up having insufficient funds to cover costs and so it becomes hard to stay in business.
LESSON: If you have Universal Healthcare make sure your healthcare budget includes money to keep facilities open and working, with enough doctors and nurses that your community needs to be healthy. If more facilities are needed, build them, If more providers are needed, encourage them to move there, provide scholarships, reduce their tuition debt, cut down their expenses.
I like the way HR3421 addresses this. They break up the country into regions and place an administrator in each region. The administrator has a budget to make sure that the system works in their region. It includes money for existing facilities, new facilities, and education for providers. The administrators are advised by regional doctors and experts on matters such as the number of facilities, providers, and specialists needed in the region. Of course there are important patient healthcare metrics that are collected to which they must pay attention (and improve). These are things like maternal and infant mortality and quality outcomes.
I detailed a lot of these in the previous article on this bill and here is a link.
Universal healthcare doesn’t fix everything but a single payer system like HR3421 is a pretty good start. If we don’t start it won’t get better, it’s kind of like having a cavity. The longer you wait the worse it gets. You know what to do.
ACTION
Tell your Representative and Senators in Congress and the President it is time to pass Universal Healthcare, HR3421.
Dramatically lower costs, everyone insured, preventive healthcare available to everyone, improved rural access. Call/email your representatives in Congress and the White House and tell them. Their contact info is in the references section below or use Resistbot and text SIGN PHSZCP to 50409 to send message below.
Here is a sample:
“My name is [name] and I am your constituent in [zipcode] and it is time for Congress to enact Universal Healthcare, Improved Medicare for All, HR3421. We know that insurance should not be tied to employment, look at what happened during the pandemic. HR 3421 will grow the rural healthcare system so more people can have more access, 66 million of us need that. It will cover all of us cradle to grave and according to the Congressional Budget office it will do it for between $400 billion and $600 Billion less per year than we spend now. I expect you to cosponsor this legislation because my life and my health matter, just as much as yours do.”
Find My Elected Officials
Contact the White House https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
Contact State and Federal Representatives
https://www.commoncause.org/find-your-representative/addr/
Important Healthcare Resources
League of Women Voters Healthcare Reform Toolkit
Our Newsletter resources including reproductive healthcare
Healthcare Advocacy Reading List
Organizations to Contact
NARAL - Pro Choice America
Planned Parenthood
Physicians for a National Health Plan
Claims Denials and Appeals & What to Do
Appeal a Healthcare Decision
Appeal/Negotiate a Hospital Bill
Save Democracy
Chop Wood, Carry Water by Jessica Cravens
RESISTBOT
Link to the RESISTBOT site to learn more
Link to Chop Wood, Carry Water Resistbot write up