[Chat] Fwd: Please help spread the word

[Stephen J Gewirtz]

Here is some information about a session in the neighborhood next Monday 
promoting a single payer health plan.  If you are not familiar with the 
issues, you may want to attend.

Incidentally, we already have a single payer plan for seniors; it is 
called Medicare.  As one who has Medicare, I can say that it works quite 
well.  The problem with many single payer plans outside the U.S. 
including the one in Canada is that they are underfunded.  On the other 
hand, medical care in the U.S. generally costs much more than it should, 
since we support a huge insurance industry.  But the overhead costs for 
Medicare are very low (except for the Medicare HMOs which get more money 
than traditional Medicare thanks to subsidies thrown in by Republicans 
under Bush).  Anyway, if you are interested, you can attend the session 
at St. John's on St. Paul St.

Steve.

Bill Harvey wrote:
> Steve,    I sent you this notice last night but I've since gotten a 
> message from Chris Wilson suggesting that you might be able to help 
> spread the word by sending this to lists in Charles Village that 
> you're active on- and, really, anyone around Baltimore you think might 
> be interested in this. And why don't you try to make one of these 
> sessions!
> Thanks,  Bill Harvey
>
>
>
>     Here's a good quick sum-up of where things stand:
>     Dave Lindorff, "Why do we need a health insurance industry?"
> COUNTERPUNCH 3/26/09    http://www.counterpunch.org/lindorff03262009.html
>
> +++++++++++++++++++++
>
> RSVP    RSVP
>
>
>    ELEVENTH SESSION: Monday, April 6, 2009
>    St. John's United Methodist Church
>    St. Paul St. at 27th St., Baltimore
>    7:30
>
>
>    WHAT: One time study sessions on what a single payer health insurance
> system could look like in the United States. Each month the topic will
> be the same and we'll cover pretty much the same ground.
>
>    THE TOPIC: "Single payer" is a technical sounding term that simply
> means that only one agency will pay for medical services- this in
> contrast to the roughly 1500 insurance companies now operating in the
> US. Private insurance companies would be effectively eliminated from the
> medical market. The rough model for most single payer advocates in the
> US is the Canadian system. Another way of simplifying: An expanded and
> enhanced "Medicare for All."
>    The main national vehicle for single payer is HR 676 whose principal
> sponsor is Congressman John Conyers of Michigan. www.healthcare-now.org
>    Among major party presidential candidates only Dennis Kucinich was a
> single payer advocate. There are also single payer bills in many state
> legislatures,including Maryland.
> http://mlis.state.md.us/2009rs/bills/hb/hb1186f.pdf
>
>    READING: Around 20 pages of basic introductory material. The focus
> reading will be the 8 page "Executive Summary" of THE LEWIN REPORT, a
> 2000 study of the prospects for reform in Maryland.
> www.mdsinglepayer.org/links.htm
>
>    THE GOAL: To help dispel some of the fog that surrounds the
> health care reform debate today. Whereas most people are concerned about
> the issue and open to a discussion of alternatives, the advocacy of
> "universal coverage" by politicians with many varied proposals has left
> many of us understandably confused.
>
>    WHEN: the first Monday of every month, 7:30 p.m., beginning on
> November 5, 2007 and every first Monday thereafter- December 3; January
> 7, 2008...
>
>    WHERE: St. John's United Methodist Church, 2640 St. Paul St., at the
> corner of 27th St., Baltimore.
>
>    HOSTED BY: St. John's Church, a great activist church for more than
> 3 decades.
>
>    CONVENER: Bill Harvey has been active on this issue since 1989 and
> works with HealthCare Now of Maryland- formerly Maryland UHCAN
> [Universal Health Care Action Network]:   www.mdsinglepayer.org
>
>    *****
>    At every session we'll pass the hat to help St. John's defray
> costs.
>    *****
>
>     RSVP    RSVP
>    If interested, please contact me ASAP. The next session is only a
> week away. I'll need to get you the packet of readings, and it would
> be good to have contact info for anyone who plans to be there in case
> there's a cancellation or other change in schedule. THERE IS ALWAYS ROOM
> for latecomers.
>    If you miss this session, you'll still be able to sign up for a
> later one.
>
>    PLEASE HELP SPREAD THE WORD. Feel free to forward this message to any
> lists or individuals you think might be interested.
>
>
> Bill Harvey
> 410-467-7756
> bharvey at smart.net
>
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