Medicare For All (singlepayer) Supporters Prepare for Health Care Showdown

[Better Believe It]

Supporters of ‘Medicare for All’ Prepare for Health Care Showdown
The Labor Campaign for Single-Payer Healthcare
by Jane Slaughter
Labor Notes

Union advocates of “Medicare for all” are organizing to make labor a united voice on health care reform—and to pressure Democrats to do the right thing.

Discussed in conference calls for months and officially launched in mid-November, the Labor Campaign for Single-Payer Healthcare aims to mobilize a grassroots movement of union members that politicians (and union leaders) cannot ignore.

Organizers plan a January 10 founding conference in St. Louis to bring together supporters, especially those who can put the weight of their locals, central labor councils, and state federations behind the project.

“We’re trying to avoid a repeat of 1993,” says Mark Dudzic, the campaign’s coordinator, “when one month after the inauguration, the AFL-CIO abandoned any support for a single-payer solution, and a year later they endorsed the Clinton plan.” That plan, which suffered humiliating defeat, would have maintained private insurance companies’ grip on the health care system—as would proposals being discussed in Washington today.

“What’s different from ’93-’94,” says Dudzic, “is that there’s incredible support for single payer at the grassroots of the labor movement, and it’s sophisticated support. People understand the differences among the proposals.”

Please read the entire article at:

http://labornotes.org/node/1982

[babylonsister]

1. Yep, there's a battle brewing from lots of different factions:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x4533497
In Private Retreat, Health Care Reformers Gird For Major Battle With Insurance Industry

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=4535342&mesg_id=4535342
Obama's Health Care Team: They Mean Business

[jwirr]

2. Medicare for all! Well I have medicare and it does not cover medications,

equipment or nursing home care. Why are we not trying for Medicaid which does cover these things?

[Better Believe It]

3. That would of course be included in Medicare for All (single payer)

[SharonAnn]

4. Most other types of insurance have limited coverage of prescriptions.

Medicare was originally focused on the cost of medical care in hospitals. That was the horrendous expense area back in the 1950's and 1960's.

Part B was added to cover doctors and others out of hospital expenses.

Part D was added to provide more money to the drug companies. It happens to help some with the cost of their prescription drugs.