Here's a health plan that preserves the private sector, insures everyone, and provides for a moderate degree of cost controls.

The Dept. of Health and Human Services, authorized by federal law, writes a health-insurance policy (structured similar to United Health, Cigna, etc, with coverage for prescriptions, preventitive care, pre-natal, disabled and elder/long-term care). The policy is THE ONLY HEALTH INSURANCE POLICY health insurance companies nationwide can offer, and with no modifications, no declines, and no one written-up. Health insurance companies could compete only on the basis of their premiums and the efficiency of the operations; not by denial of care. Other than writing and occasionally revising the policy, the only role for the federal government (no role at all for the states) would be to subsidize premium payors, on a sliding scale, thru the income tax system.

Details here.

I haven't heard this Madison Avenue slogan recently, but years ago I often heard it: "two out of three doctors recommend" this or that. Now it's National Health Insurance by 59%-32%, or nearly 2:1. 

The survey suggests that opinions have changed substantially since the last survey in 2002 and as the country debates serious changes to the health care system.

Of more than 2,000 doctors surveyed, 59 percent said they support legislation to establish a national health insurance program, while 32 percent said they opposed it, researchers reported in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.

This shows our privatized health care system sucks so bad that even doctors hate it. A generation ago, doctors fough tooth and nail for privatized health care.

By David Swanson

Yesterday in the rain in front of the U.S. Capitol hundreds of 911 rescue workers who risked their lives in a toxic mess they were told was safe piled off buses from New York. They held a rally with a handful of Congress Members and asked Congress to get them health care so that they can stop suffering every day while we slaughter people abroad in their names and in the name of those who died that day.

I shot a video and have broken it into six pieces and posted them on Youtube. The first features Rep. Tim Bishop, the second Rep. Carolyn Maloney, the third Rep. Dennis Kucinich, the fourth a young woman singing "God Bless America," the fifth Rep. Jerrold Nader, and the sixth some of the rescue workers speaking.

Here are the videos:
http://www.youtube.com/afterdowningstreet

The Fresno Bee is reporting: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued findings of its investigation into the infections of at least 12 cardiac surgery patients at Saint Agnes Medical Center earlier this year, but refused to release them to the public. Saint Agnes spokeswoman Kelley Sanchez said the CDC concluded that samples taken from the hospital last month and examined in Atlanta “could not determine a single cause for the infections” and no patterns were found to explain the “increase in infections” between January and September.http://www.care-mates.com/blog/?p=31

1. The Centers for Disease Control just released a report that says that 20% of Americans can't afford or access needed health care.

2. The American College of Physicians just joined majority opinion and now backs single payer health coverage.

3. One candidate for president would make single payer a reality in this country. Only this one candidate is even interested in trying. Watch this terrific video!

There is a lot of media hype regarding the various plans proposed by Democratic candidates.

I fear people are used to being forced to pay corporations for everything they need for their survival, and so they will just support one of these plans.

These proposals perpetuate the unacceptable status quo path, which is never going to lead to a fair solution to the problem of people’s access to healthcare in this country.

It is time that the people of the US stand up for what they really want, even according to polls, and what they really need. In fact, what their tax money should already be paying for.

It disgusts me, the garbage I hear propigated on NPR and other media outlets, regarding insurance based healthcare plans. Do people really need a new law forcing them to pay “free market” corporations for health insurance as they do car insurance?

By Russell Mokhiber, Corporate Crime Reporter

Does the leadership of the AFL-CIO favor a single payer, Canadian-style, Medicare-for-all, health insurance system? They do not.

The California Nurses Association, which joined the AFL executive council earlier this year, supports single payer.

More than 350 other union locals support single payer.

More than 80 members of the House of Representatives support legislation that would create a single payer system in the United States (HR 676).

But the leadership of the AFL-CIO does not support single payer.

They may say they support it.

But yesterday, at a press conference at the National Press Club, it became clear that AFL-CIO President John Sweeney and his fellow labor union bosses are actively working to derail the rank and file movement for single payer.