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
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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 50th among nations for HC outcomes
- Many people left out.
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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
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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
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Why Medicare for All?
- Moral and theological arguments (see above)
- Why settle for being 50th 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?
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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.
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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.
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Racism affects HC (Can be a separate Forum later)
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