Not only do people die from lack of care, many are never born alive

"The grief of a stillborn is unlike any other form of grief: the months of excitement and expectation, planning, eager questions and the drama of labor -- all magnifying the devastating incomprehension of giving birth to a baby bearing no signs of life."
- The Lancet editor-in-chief Dr. Richard Horton and senior editor Dr. Zoe Mullan, reporting a study showing at least 2.6 million fetuses die each year after the 28th week of pregnancy, in large part because women do not receive adequate medical care. (Source: Los Angeles Times)

Eighth Annual SPAN Ohio Conference

Visit http://www.spanohio.org/ for conference program and registration information.

Healthcare for the Future

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,

My name is Bill Davis and my church is helping me start a group for Health Care discussion.  Here is what we had in our Bulletin today.

Healthcare for the Future - Westminster member, Bill Davis is exploring the possibility of starting a new interest group for people to learn, pray and work toward a more fair and just healthcare system. For more information, call 937-264-0377 eves & weekends or email spanoh.region7@gmail.com with phone# and questions or concerns.

Would you like to join us?

This may be more appropriate and may be edited as deemed desirable for your situation.

Healthcare for the Future - Bill Davis is planning an interest group for people to learn, pray and work toward a more economical, effective and just healthcare system. For more information, call 937-264-0377 eves & weekends or email spanoh.region7@gmail.com with phone# and questions or concerns.

(Bill is a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Downtown Dayton and SPAN Ohio's Region 7 coordinator which includes Champaign, Clark, Darke, Greene, Miami, Montgomery, Preble & Shelby Counties)

Thank you for your help.

Sincerely yours,

Bill Davis

SPAN Ohio Region 7 Coordinator for Champaign, Clark, Darke, Greene, Miami, Montgomery, Preble, and Shelby counties

937-264-0377 eves & weekends

I am available to speak to groups of any size.  Please call to arrange a date.

Medical bankruptcies a continuing problem, study finds

By Kay Lazar, Globe Staff - boston.com

The 2006 Massachusetts law that required nearly everyone to buy health insurance has not significantly staunched residents' pain from medical bankruptcies, according to a new study.
A survey of Massachusetts residents who filed for bankruptcy in July 2009 found that 53 percent cited a medical cause, down from 59 percent who blamed a medical cause in a survey done in early 2007, before the state law had been fully implemented. But because of the small number of people surveyed, the difference was not statistically significant, according to the study in today's American Journal of Medicine.

Lead study author Dr. David Himmelstein said medical bills are still causing bankruptcies because health costs in the state have continued rising sharply. High premium costs, along with large co-payments and deductibles, often expose families with insurance to substantial out-of-pocket costs, said Himmelstein, a professor of public health at City University of New York.
"People think they have reasonable insurance until they try and use it," Himmelstein said. "You are carrying an umbrella and it starts to rain and you put it up and it's full of holes. For most people, it just hasn’t rained yet."
Himmelstein, who conducted the research while working as an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, is co-founder of Physicians for a National Health Program, an organization that pushes for national health insurance.
He said his findings suggest that the national health overhaul, which was largely modeled on the Massachusetts law and will take full effect in 2014, will not ease the number of medical bankruptcies, either.

To keep informed about health care issues, follow this link for articles like the one below.

http://www.pnhp.org/news/quote-of-the-day

Healthcare Reform 2.0

By Steffie Woolhandler, MD, MPH and David Himmelstein, MD
CUNY School of Public Health, Social Research, Fall 2011
So while the American people want an expanded and improved Medicare for All — that is, a single-payer system — corporations dead-set against single-payer reform have come to dictate the agendas of both political parties. Hence, the only way to win national health insurance is to build a popular movement to counter corporate power.
http://www1.cuny.edu/mu/forum/2011/11/09/dr-steffie-woolhandler-and-dr-david-himmelstein-on-their-recent-publication-“healthcare-reform-2-0″-in-the-fall-2011-issue-of-social-research/

Healthcare Reform 2.0 (12 pages):
http://www1.cuny.edu/mu/sph/files/2011/11/783_Woolhandler-Himmelstein_719-730.pdf

Comment:

By Don McCanne, MD
This brief primer (9 short pages plus references) on Healthcare Reform 2.0 will provide little new information for those who have followed the research and educational efforts of the leadership of Physicians for a National Health Program. Nevertheless, it should be downloaded to be used as an advocacy piece to explain to others why Healthcare Reform 1.0 (Affordable Care Act) will remain a failure, and why we have to move on to Healthcare Reform 2.0 (expanded and improved Medicare for All). By distributing this, electronically or in hard copy, you can become a part of the popular movement to counter corporate power.

Premium Assistance for Coverage in Exchanges

Kaiser Family Foundation
Health Reform Subsidy Calculator
Premium Assistance for Coverage in Exchanges

An example for a 50 year old with a family of four, with income at 401% of federal poverty level:

$93,934 - Projected income in 2014

$16,858 - Unsubsidized health insurance premium in 2014

N/A - Maximum % of income the family has to pay for the premium

$16,858 - Actual family required premium payment

$0 - Government tax credit

$12,500 - The maximum out-of-pocket costs the person/family will be responsible for in 2014 (not including the premium)

$29,358 - Premium plus out-of-pocket costs

31% - Percent of income for premium plus out-of-pocket costs

http://healthreform.kff.org/SubsidyCalculator.aspx

Comment: This calculator is useful for determining anticipated individual and family costs for insurance premiums plus out-of-pocket expenses for plans obtained through the insurance exchanges, if execution of the program is optimal.

Uncertainties arise since
1) premiums are not guaranteed and could be much higher if private insurers fail to restrain cost increases, and
2) out-of-pocket costs could be much higher based on plan design, limitations of provider networks, and expenses for disallowed services and products. Furthermore, most individuals and families will not even be allowed to purchase plans through the exchanges.

What kind of reform is this? We could have covered everyone without the need to create personal financial
hardship had we adopted a single payer national health program. In fact, we can still do that.

You can read/subscribe to messages like this at http://pnhp.org/news/quote-of-the-day

Summary of H.R. 676, “The United States National Health Care Act,” Or “Expanded & Improved Medicare For All”

Introduced by Rep. John Conyers, Jr.


Brief Summary of Legislation
The United States National Health Care Act (USNHC) establishes a unique American universal health
insurance program with single payer financing. The bill would create a publicly financed, privately
delivered health care system that improves and expands the already existing Medicare program to all
U.S. residents, and all residents living in U.S. territories. The goal of the legislation is to ensure that all
Americans will have access, guaranteed by law, to the highest quality and most cost effective health care
services regardless of their employment, income or health care status. In short, health care becomes a
human right. With 47 million uninsured Americans, and another 50 million who are underinsured, the
time has come to change our inefficient and costly fragmented non-system of health care.


Who is Eligible
Every person living or visiting in the United States and the U.S. Territories would receive a United
States National Health Insurance Card and ID number once they enroll at the appropriate location. Social
Security numbers may not be used when assigning ID cards.


Health Care Services Covered
This program will cover all medically necessary services, including primary care, inpatient care,
outpatient care, emergency care, prescription drugs, durable medical equipment, hearing services, long
term care, palliative care, podiatric care, mental health services, dentistry, eye care, chiropractic, and
substance abuse treatment. Patients have their choice of physicians, providers, hospitals, clinics, and
practices. There no co-pays or deductibles under this act.


Conversion To A Non-Profit Health Care System
Doctors, hospitals, and clinics will continue to operate as privately entities. However, they will be
unable to issue stock. Private health insurers shall be prohibited under this act from selling coverage that
duplicates the benefits of the USNHC program. Exceptions to this rule include coverage for cosmetic
surgery, and other medically unnecessary treatments. Those workers who are displaced as the result of
the transition to a non-profit health care system will be the first to be hired and retrained under this act.
Furthermore, workers would receive their same salary for up to two years, and would then be eligible for
unemployment benefits. The conversion to a not-for- profit health care system will take place as soon as
possible, but not to exceed a 15 year period, through the sale of U.S. treasury bonds.


Cost Containment Provisions/ Reimbursement
The USNHC program will negotiate reimbursement rates annually with physicians, allow for global
budgets (monthly lump sums for operating expenses) for hospitals, and negotiate prices for prescription
drugs, medical supplies and equipment. A “Medicare For All Trust Fund” will be established to ensure a
dedicated stream of funding. An annual Congressional appropriation is also authorized to ensure
optimal levels of funding for the program, in particular, to ensure the requisite number of physicians and
nurses need in the health care delivery system. (over)
H.R. 676 Would Reduce Overall Health Care Costs


Families Will Pay Less
Currently, the average family of four covered under an employee health plan spends a total of $4,225 on
health care annually – $2,713 on premiums and another $1,522 on medical services, drugs and supplies
(Employer Health Benefits 2006 Annual Survey, Kaiser Family Foundation and Health Research and
Educational Trust; U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditure
Survey.) This figure does not include the additional 1.45% Medicare payroll tax levied on employees.
A study by Dean Baker of the Center for Economic Research and Policy concluded that under H.R. 676,
a family of four making the median family income of $56,200 per year would pay about $2,700 for all
health care costs.


Business Will Pay In 2006, health insurers charged employers an average of $11,500 for a health plan for a family of four.
On average, the employer paid 74% of this premium, or $8,510 per year. This figure does not include
the additional 1.45% payroll tax levied on employers for Medicare. Under H.R. 676, employers would
pay a 4.75% payroll tax for all health care costs. For an employee making the median family income of
$56,200 per year, the employer would pay about $2,700.
The Nation Will Pay About the Same, While Covering All Americans
Savings from reduced administration, bulk purchasing, and coordination among providers will allow
coverage for all Americans while reducing health care inflation in the long term. Annual savings from
enacting H.R. 676 are estimated at $387 billion (Baker).


Proposed Funding For USNHI Program
• Maintain current federal and state funding for existing health care programs
• Establish employer/employee payroll tax of 4.75% (includes present 1.45% Medicare tax)
• Establish a 5% health tax on the top 5% of income earners, 10% tax on top 1% of wage earners
• ¼ of 1% stock transaction tax
• Close corporate tax loopholes
• Repeal the Bush tax cuts for the highest income earners

*For more information, contact Joel Segal (joel.segal@mail.house.gov) or Michael Darner
(michael.darner@mail.house.gov) with Rep. John Conyers at 202 225-5126, or contact Olivia Boykins at
313 961-5670.