health care for all NC

A fiscal analysis of SB 840 (Kuehl), which would establish in California a single-payer health care system and its companion financing mechanism. (PDF)

Fiscal Projection Overview. We estimated the revenues and costs of the [single-payer plan] for 5.5 years.. Our estimate indicates that that the SPP would result in a net shortfall of $42 billion in 2011-12 (the first full year of operations) and $46 billion in 2015-16.

Wow. Single-payer in California will cost the state $42 billion in its first year, this is much different than the analysis done five years ago by The Lewin Group where the program rolled out as cost neutral. What happened and is it the death knell of single-payer in California?

Given the recent activities of the North Carolina Senate, cowing to the real estate agents, I have little hope that they will stand up for the working class in North Carolina. The working class are those who are most hard hit by being uninsured and underinsured, it's not the guy making $80,000 a year who decides not to be insured. It's the guy that has two kids and is working a full-time blue collar job. The guy who has seen his winter heat bill quadruple, his gas bill triple, his food bill double, and his health insurance costs grow steeper and steeper for less and less coverage. Those are the people that we need to help in North Carolina. Unfortunately, they don't have big-time paid lobbyists like BCBS. But, they do have a voice.

You may remember last week when discussing Charlie Crist's lousy health care plan that I proclaimed...

as long as this is the kind of crap that Republicans want to push through as "historic legislation", our country is in for tough times. I don't see any Democrat with the guts and political capital to push through true Universal Health Care coverage here in North Carolina, nor in the US Senate, nor in the US House. They'll fold like a house of cards - just like they did over Iraq.

Well, Howard Dean has now sealed the deal. Dr. Dean has always been more moderate or conservative than most Democrats think of him as being, in Vermont he focused on piecemeal programs like Dr. Dynasaur to provide "near-universal" coverage to children and pregnant women. So, it should come as no surprise when he says....

I think while someday we may end up with a single-payer system, it’s clear that we’re not going to do it all at once, so I think both candidates’ health-care plans are a big step forward. Certainly compared to Senator [John] McCain, who represents a big step backward.

Don McCanne over at Physicians for a National Health Program has a cutting take on what we can expect in the next administration from Democrats.

Greetings all! Health Care for All NC has begun its short-session "Two Over Ten" push, but this time it is not focused on Verla Insko's "Health Care for All" bill. Instead, this session the push is for House Bill 1897, which creates a Healthcare Policy Council that would make recommendations to the General Assembly on how to integrate public and private healthcare services to form an effective, coordinated system of healthcare for North Carolina.

Don McCanne writes the Quote of the Day over at PHNP, which one of the best quick reads on single-payer and its opponents. It is sent as a almost-daily email update if you are interested. This short video features Dr. McCanne talking about what is wrong with the Presidential Candidates' health care plans, and a Harvard business school professor talking about why she likes them (choice). Dr. McCanne's written comment is available after the break.

The title says it all:
Wisconsin to Provide Affordable Coverage to All Kids, Regardless of Income

What, you want more?

Gov. Jim Doyle (D-Wis.) announced Wednesday "a sweeping restructuring of state health programs" that will take effect February 1, 2009, and will allow all parents, no matter their income level, to buy affordable coverage for their children, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

I am going to set out a fairly brief review of the health care for kids outlines that both candidates have submitted. I won't call them plans, because they really aren't plans at this point. They are outlines and will be treated as such, though I must give Beverly Perdue credit for submitting a much more complete outline of her total health care package. Moore's lack of a total health care plan is one reason I am only posting about children. Nonetheless, Perdue almost lost me with this, which seems like a swipe at Rep. Verla Insko, Health Care for All NC, and the Commission idea they are pressing:

There will be a series of forums this Fall that will deal with the health care crisis in North Carolina. As HCfA is a non-partisan outfit, the discussion will be open to anyone with an opinion on how to fix our broken system. The information.

The format will be table discussions to agree on a set of principles. Principles developed at the regional meetings will be sent to our state leadership team and will be a factor in bill writing. The bill H1897 “Health Care Planning Commission” will create a planning commission charged with taking us from our current fragmented system to health care for all. Guiding principles will be included in the bill.

This is an important time for those of you who care about Health Care to become active in Health Care for All NC - Join NOW!

Health care for all is coming. Currently only the health insurance industry is focused, funded and organized to influence change. The purpose of the forums is to allow providers and consumers to agree on principles and build an effective collaborative effort that will balance the strength of the health insurance industry.

This was the sight about ten minutes before the 4:30pm showing of Sicko this Sunday. I had decided to "host" an event, "A Night on the Town with Sicko". I put "host" in quotes because I kind of thought there would be 20 or so of and we'd watch the movie and have a nice slice of pizza and chat afterwards. I am the Vice President of Health Care for All NC, so I put a call out to our list members to join the show. I'm also one local captain of the John Edwards One Corps, so I put out the call to that list to join us.

Then, the RSVPs started rolling in, and then....

Folks, how much time can you spare to make a real difference? Can you spare two hours over ten weeks? Can you? As you may know, Health Care for All NC is a non-partisan, non-profit group that wants to give the citizens of North Carolina an Up or Down Vote on whether Health Care is a right or a privilege.

[ ] FOR [ ] AGAINST

Constitutional amendment providing that health care is a fundamental right.

Health Care for All NC supports no particular plan for implementing universal health care, that will be a decision made by the best and brightest that our state government pulls together for that purpose. Public-private hybrid, Massachusetts forced care, single-payer. All of these are options.

Health Care for All NC has members throughout the state. Physicians who are members of Physicians for a National Health Program, small business owners who have faced the decision to stay open or to give health care to their employees, retirees who want everyone to have the quality of care they do through Medicare, and church groups who believe that thousands dying from a lack of insurance is a moral outrage. In Two over Ten, all of these people come together, asking you to participate over the next ten weeks in educating your legislators.

If you can spare two hours over ten weeks, then please follow me to the rest of the article.