In-person instructive talk: Faith-Based Case For Medicare For All

---

July 23, 2017, Forum at UCCH

Led by Bill Murray, billmurray2929@gmail.com, 919-918-3389

---

Health Care for All NC = www.healthcareforallnc.org

To inquire, email Jonathan Kotch  pres@healthcareforallnc.org

1. Facts about health care (HC) problems in US:

• US pays the most and gets the least.  Pay for Mercedes Benz but get bicycle.
• US is ranked about 50^th among nations for HC outcomes
• Many people left out.

2. NC legislature refused to expand Medicaid:

• Refused 90% federal funding, = 6 Billion since 2014
• Lost 30,000 HC jobs,
• Little HC for poorest in NC.
• 3 rural hospitals closed

3. Medicare for All = Universal HC guaranteed:

• Morally right for everyone to get it.   HC is a right per UN declarations.
• Christian theology:  Jesus was a walking universal health care system.
• Matthew 8 = stories of healing
  • Leper
  • Roman officer = He never turned anybody down including Roman officer.
  • Peter’s Mother in law
  • Turned her home into a clinic.
  • ¼ th of gospels are stories of Jesus healing.
• Jewish theology  – Jeremiah and other prophets healed.
• Islamic theology – Mohammed often prayed for people’s health.
• Same program for everyone – Medicare for all.
  • Everyone tries to make the program work well.  Vs now, Medicaid can be cut.
• It works well in other countries.
• Video of Rev. Dr. Barber on universal health care, June 4, 2017

4. Why Medicare for All?

• Moral and theological arguments (see above)
• Why settle for being 50^th nation and paying the most?
• Why keep paying health insurance companies = waste and profits?  Insurance cos. have 20-39% administrative costs vs 2-3% for Medicare.
• Why not negotiate prices down with pharmaceutical companies?

5. Hope

• Growing Realization that employers and insurance companies are not the answer.
• Favorable example of other countries.
• Movement is growing.
• Most Democrats now favor universal HC – see NY Times article posted on www.healthcareforallnc.org, scroll down a bit.

6. Actions to take:

• Join Health Care for All NC = www.healthcareforallnc.org – Use “Join” button
• Pressure congress and NC legislature
• Advocate for HR bill 676 which is a blueprint for universal health care – For information, see links on www.healthcareforallnc.org
• Hold educational programs at groups you know.

7. Racism affects HC (Can be a separate Forum later)

• Video of Rev. Dr. Barber on universal health care, June 4, 2017
• or 3 minute video of Barber in Ohio

Includes so much good information by Rev. Barber including:

• 1870 – 20 Freed Man hospitals closed because if black people get treatment, they live longer and they vote.  = refusal to expand Medicaid.
• Extremists keep convincing poor whites to vote against HC for poor by convincing them of racist favoritism when money is given away to blacks.  = keep poor whites and blacks separated = “divide and conquer.”
• Push back on Obama.  If Romney had passed Affordable Care Act, it would have been adopted by Republicans