[GPCA Updates] GP RELEASE: Greens urge defeat of Dems' 'faux reform' health bill in the Senate, seek a rally of efforts for Single-Payer

[Green Party of California Updates]

GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES
http://www.gp.org

For Immediate Release:
Tuesday, November 10, 2009


Greens urge defeat of the Democrats' "insurance industry life-support"
bill in the US Senate and call for a rally of efforts to enact
Single-Payer/Medicare For All

• The US House bill passed on Saturday favors the insurance industry
over Americans who need medical care; no heath care reform bill should
be enacted that doesn't allow states to enact Single-Payer, say
Greens, who slam House Democrats for killing a vote on Single-Payer
last week

• Green Party Speakers Bureau: Greens available to speak on health
care reform: http://www.gp.org/speakers/speakers-health-care.php



WASHINGTON, DC -- In the wake of a US House vote passing a Democratic
health care bill (HR 3962), Green Party leaders and health care
activists are calling for a defeat of the bill, calling it little more
than a program to subsidize the insurance industry.

Greens are urging supporters of real universal health care to
intensify efforts to win Capitol Hill support for
Single-Payer/Medicare For All national health care.

"Democrats from President Obama on down know that Single-Payer is the
best solution.  They've said so.  But instead of eliminating the waste
and inefficiency of for-profit health insurance, the Democrats'
'insurance industry life-support' plan would increase insurance
company profits by forcing every American to purchase their inferior
products.  Many Democrats who previously supported Single-Payer have
turned their backs, abandoning real universal health care out of
loyalty to the President and their party," said Midge Potts, Missouri
Green candidate for the US Senate (MySpace.com/Midge_Potts_US_Senate).

The Green Party supports Single-Payer, which would guarantee quality
health care for every American, allow patients to choose their health
care providers, cut paperwork for physicians and hospitals, and reduce
health care costs by a third by eliminating the for-profit insurance
industry 'middle man'
(http://www.gp.org/campaigns/health/single-payer).  Greens advocate a
Single-Payer system run by a not-for-profit trust of health care
providers, health care advocates, and taxpayers, rather than by the
federal government.  The Democratic bill accomplishes none of these
goals.

"Democrats want phony health care reform, Republicans want zero
reform.  Greens seek real reform by making health care a right instead
of a privilege, just as we've made Social Security, education, and the
protections we enjoy from fire and police departments a right for
everyone," added Ms. Potts, one of nine peaceful protesters arrested
on November 5 at the Capitol Hill office of Sen. Joseph Lieberman
until the senator agreed to stop taking campaign contributions from
the insurance industry (video clip:
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=59896394&blogId=517420995).

Greens strongly criticized congressional Democrats like Rep. Anthony
Weiner (D-NY), who withdrew his Single-Payer bill last week to support
HR 3962.  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) had promised a vote
after August on Single-Payer legislation, which sponsors of the latter
have decided to withdraw.

When Rep. Pelosi, after vocal protests from Single-Payer supporters
(including a sit-in at her Capitol Hill office) finally agreed to the
vote but allowed only 20 minutes for debate, Rep. John Conyers
(D-Mich.) and Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) issued a public statement
opposing the vote on the grounds that Single-Payer had not received an
adequate hearing.

"Reps. Conyers and Kucinich argued that a quick vote and perfunctory
defeat of Single-Payer would damage hopes for Single-Payer
(http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/11/06-8).  Tabling this vote
made passage of the Democratic House bill possible, with yea votes
from those who previously favored Single-Payer -- making progressive
Democrats as responsible as Blue Dogs and Republicans for killing real
health care reform.  The point of a vote on Single-Payer, regardless
of its chances of passage right now, was to focus attention on
Single-Payer and build momentum and public support," said Holly Hart,
secretary of the Green Party of the United States.

Like Midge Potts, several Green Party candidates and activists have
participated in protests and civil disobedience to draw attention to
the demand for Single-Payer.  Howie Hawkins, who placed second on
November 3 in Syracuse, New York city council race, was arrested on
November 4 in downtown Syracuse during a non-violent demonstration
outside the office of National Government Services, a Medicare claims
processing operation owned by Wellpoint Inc., a major health insurer
(video clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PH76jQKzaA).

Mobilization for Health Care For All
(http://mobilizeforhealthcare.org), which is organizing the protests,
was founded by Kevin Zeese, Maryland Green candidate for the US Senate
in 2006.

"No heath care reform bill should be enacted that doesn't allow
individual states to enact Single-Payer," added Matt Reichel, Green
candidate for Congress in Illinois's 5th District
(http://www.mattreichel.us), referring to the Kucinich amendment.
"Rep. Pelosi stripped the provision for state-based Single-Payer from
the House bill and Democrats weakened the public option to satisfy the
insurance lobby.  These betrayals justify a 'voters revolt' against
Democrats in 2010, if they offer a health care bill that wastes
taxpayers' money and favors the insurance industry over Americans who
need medical care."  (Article by Mr. Reichel on health care reform:
http://dissidentvoice.org/2009/11/shut-down-this-murderous-racket-change-we-need-and-crave/)

The Green Party listed reasons to reject the Senate version of HR 3962:

• The 'public option' in the bill would enroll only 2% of the
population by 2019.  According to the Congressional Budget Office, the
public option "would cost more than private plans" since it would
enroll primarily the poorest and sickest members of society.
Insurance companies will probably end up administering the public
option plan.  (Single-Payer ends the provision of health coverage by
insurance companies, which raise health costs by nearly a third to
cover overhead, administrative costs, CEO salaries, and profits for
shareholders.)

"Democrats and their allies like Health Care for America NOW (HCAN)
are trying to pull the wool over our eyes, pretending that this is a
fight for a robust public option and universal health care.  Democrats
killed the public option a month ago in everything but name.  They
turned the public option into fig leaf for the corporate option their
plan embraces.  The real winners will be the insurance companies,
since the Democrats are using the insurance mandate to gift-wrap 50
million new customers for them," said Mr. Hawkins.

• Access to health insurance will still primarily be tied to
employment.  An employee who loses his or her job will still lose
coverage. Employers, not employees, will choose their workers'
insurance company and their health care provider.  (Single-Payer
relieves businesses of the burden of providing health insurance
benefits and allows Americans to choose their physician or hospital.)

• The House bill further increases health care spending.  The US
already spends nearly double ($7,200 per capita) what other industrial
countries spend for their citizens.  To reduce the increase in costs
to the federal government, the Democrats' plan would push more and
more of the financial burden for health care onto state governments
and consumers, while reducing subsidies to consumers.  (Past studies
by the GAO and CBO confirm that Single-Payer would save hundreds of
billions of dollars annually in total health care spending.)

• The House bill denies health care for all immigrants, a restriction
that would ultimately cost the US more in money and lives, since
denial of treatment to anyone encourages the spread of disease among
everyone, regardless of health coverage.  (Single-Payer's financial
savings would fully offset the cost of health care for immigrants and
improve the quality of health care for all.)

• Tens of millions of Americans will either not be required to
purchase insurance or will choose to pay a penalty rather than do so.
Those who buy subsidized plans, mostly the working poor, will find
that many services are not covered and that they will lack the funds
to pay the deductibles and co-pays needed for medical treatment, since
the plans are designed to only cover 70% of costs.  (Single-Payer will
offer comprehensive health care for everyone.)

• Even though most Americans who presently lack health insurance are
the working poor (75%) and those working for small employers, small
employers are exempted from the requirement to provide health
insurance.  (Single-Payer covers everyone regardless of employment,
ability to pay, age, or prior medical condition.)

• The AMA endorsed the Democratic bill, but only 17% of physicians
(out of 800,000 in the US) are AMA members.  59% of physicians and a
majority of the public support Single-Payer/Medicare For All.
(Sources: http://www.pnhp.org/news/2008/march/most_doctors_support.php
/
http://www.healthcare-now.org/another-poll-shows-majority-support-for-single-payer
/ http://www.wpasinglepayer.org/PollResults.html)

"The destructive role of insurance companies is the biggest problem
with the American health care system," said Sanda Everette, co-chair
of the Green Party of the United States.  "It's why we spend so much
money and yet suffer a health care delivery system consistently ranked
the worst among industrial countries, even though we have some of the
best doctors, nurses, hospitals, and medical technology.  We can save
hundreds of billions of dollars annually by eliminating private
for-profit insurance and using these funds to give every American
access to quality health care.  Instead, Democrats are offering a bill
that would tighten the stranglehold of the insurance companies.  This
is not the change Americans were promised last November."


MORE INFORMATION

Green Party of the United States http://www.gp.org
202-319-7191, 866-41GREEN
• Green candidate database and campaign information:
http://www.gp.org/elections.shtml
• Green Party News Center http://www.gp.org/newscenter.shtml
• Green Party Speakers Bureau http://www.gp.org/speakers
• Green Party ballot access page http://www.gp.org/2008-elections
• Green Party Livestream Channel http://www.livestream.com/greenpartyus

"The Green Party responds to Obama's speech: Mr. President, make
health care a right for all Americans"
Green Party press release, September 14, 2009
http://www.gp.org/press/pr-national.php?ID=249

Green Pages: The official publication of record of the Green Party of
the United States
Fall 2009 issue now online
http://gp.org/greenpages-blog


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