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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message -----
<DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A
title=dlj725@hughes.net href="mailto:dlj725@hughes.net">David Johnson</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=dlj725@hughes.net href="mailto:dlj725@hughes.net">david
johnson</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, July 01, 2012 10:24 AM</DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> Fw: </DIV></DIV>
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<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message -----
<DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A
title=dlj725@hughes.net href="mailto:dlj725@hughes.net">David Johnson</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=unionyesster@gmail.com
href="mailto:unionyesster@gmail.com">Danielle Johnson</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, July 01, 2012 10:23 AM</DIV></DIV>
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<H2 style="BORDER-BOTTOM: transparent 1px solid; COLOR: rgb(51,51,51)">Although
the Supreme Court has upheld the Affordable Care Act, the law will not remedy
the U.S. health crisis, physicians group says</H2>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<BR>June
28, 2012<BR>Contact:<BR>Garrett Adams, M.D., M.P.H., president PNHP<BR>Andrew
Coates, M.D., president-elect PNHP<BR>Steffie Woolhandler, M.D., M.P.H.<BR>David
Himmelstein, M.D.<BR>See Electronic Press Kit with selected spokesperson
bios <A style="COLOR: rgb(41,170,225); TEXT-DECORATION: none"
href="http://www.pnhp.org/epk">here</A>. For contacts in nearly every state and
major city, contact Mark Almberg, PNHP, (312) 782-6006, cell: (312)
622-0996, <A style="COLOR: rgb(41,170,225); TEXT-DECORATION: none"
href="mailto:mark@pnhp.org">mark@pnhp.org</A>, or see <A
style="COLOR: rgb(41,170,225); TEXT-DECORATION: none"
href="http://www.pnhp.org/stateactions">www.pnhp.org/stateactions</A>.<BR><I>The
following statement was released today by leaders of Physicians for a National
Health Program (<A style="COLOR: rgb(41,170,225); TEXT-DECORATION: none"
href="http://www.pnhp.org/">www.pnhp.org</A>). Their signatures appear
below.</I><BR><BR>Although the Supreme Court has upheld the Affordable Care Act
(ACA), the unfortunate reality is that the law, despite its modest benefits, is
not a remedy to our health care crisis: (1) it will not achieve universal
coverage, as it leaves <A
style="COLOR: rgb(41,170,225); TEXT-DECORATION: none"
href="http://cbo.gov/publication/43080">at least 26 million uninsured</A>, (2)
it will not make health care affordable to
Americans <B>with</B> insurance, because of high co-pays and gaps in
coverage that leave patients vulnerable to financial ruin in the event of
serious illness, and (3) it will not control costs.<BR><BR>Why is this so?
Because the ACA perpetuates a dominant role for the private insurance industry.
Each year, that industry siphons off hundreds of billions of health care dollars
for overhead, profit and the paperwork it demands from doctors and hospitals; it
denies care in order to increase insurers’ bottom line; and it obstructs any
serious effort to control costs.<BR><BR>In contrast, a single-payer,
improved-Medicare-for-all system would provide truly universal, comprehensive
coverage; health security for our patients and their families; and cost control.
It would do so by replacing private insurers with a single, nonprofit agency
like Medicare that pays all medical bills, streamlines administration, and reins
in costs for medications and other supplies through its bargaining clout.<BR><A
style="COLOR: rgb(41,170,225); TEXT-DECORATION: none"
href="http://www.pnhp.org/resources/administrative-waste-consumes-31-percent-of-health-spending"><BR>Research</A> shows
the savings in administrative costs alone under a single-payer plan would amount
to $400 billion annually, enough to provide quality coverage to everyone with no
overall increase in U.S. health spending.<BR><BR>The major provisions of the ACA
do not go into effect until 2014. Although we will be counseled to “wait and
see” how this reform plays out, we’ve seen how comparable plans have worked in
Massachusetts and other states. Those “reforms” have invariably failed our
patients, foundering on the shoals of skyrocketing costs, even as the private
insurers have continued to amass vast fortunes.<BR>Our patients, our people and
our national economy cannot wait any longer for an effective remedy to our
health care woes. The stakes are too high.<BR><BR>Contrary to the claims of
those who say we are “unrealistic,” a single-payer system is within practical
reach. The most rapid way to achieve universal coverage would be to improve upon
the existing Medicare program and expand it to cover people of all ages. There
is legislation before Congress, notably <A
style="COLOR: rgb(41,170,225); TEXT-DECORATION: none"
href="http://www.pnhp.org/sites/default/files/docs/2011/HR676-Feb-11-2011.pdf">H.R.
676</A>, the “Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act,” which would do
precisely that.<BR><BR>What is truly unrealistic is believing that we can
provide universal and affordable health care in a system dominated by private
insurers and Big Pharma.<BR><BR>The American people desperately need a universal
health system that delivers comprehensive, equitable, compassionate and
high-quality care, with free choice of provider and no financial barriers to
access. Polls have repeatedly shown an improved Medicare for all, which meets
these criteria, is the remedy preferred by <A
style="COLOR: rgb(41,170,225); TEXT-DECORATION: none"
href="http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=-1&url_num=10&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pnhp.org%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fdocs%2F2011%2FKip-Sullivan-Two-thirds-support-medicare-for-all.pdf">two-thirds</A> of
the population. A solid majority of the medical profession <A
style="COLOR: rgb(41,170,225); TEXT-DECORATION: none"
href="http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=-1&url_num=11&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pnhp.org%2Fnews%2F2008%2Fmarch%2Fmost-doctors-support-national-health-insurance-new-study-shows">now
favors</A> such an approach, as well.<BR><BR>We pledge to step up our work
for the only equitable, financially responsible and humane cure for our health
care ills: single-payer national health insurance, an expanded and improved
Medicare for all.<BR>Garrett Adams, M.D.<BR>President<BR>Andrew Coates,
M.D.<BR>President-elect<BR>Oliver Fein, M.D.<BR>Past President<BR>Claudia Fegan,
M.D.<BR>Past President<BR>David Himmelstein, M.D.<BR>Co-founder<BR>Steffie
Woolhandler, M.D.<BR>Co-founder<BR>Quentin Young, M.D.<BR>National
Coordinator<BR>Don McCanne, M.D.<BR>Senior Health Policy Fellow<BR>For
a <B>fact sheet</B> on health care access, costs, safety-net and
women’s health issues, and the evidence-based case for single-payer national
health insurance, click <A
style="COLOR: rgb(41,170,225); TEXT-DECORATION: none"
href="http://www.pnhp.org/sites/default/files/docs/2012/supreme-court/Fact-sheet-Court-upholds-law-1.pdf">here</A>.
For bios and video clips of selected PNHP spokespersons, click <A
style="COLOR: rgb(41,170,225); TEXT-DECORATION: none"
href="http://www.pnhp.org/epk">here</A>.<BR><I>Physicians for a National Health
Program (<A style="COLOR: rgb(41,170,225); TEXT-DECORATION: none"
href="http://www.pnhp.org/">www.pnhp.org</A>) is an organization of more than
18,000 doctors who advocate for single-payer national health insurance. To speak
with a physician/spokesperson in your area, visit <A
style="COLOR: rgb(41,170,225); TEXT-DECORATION: none"
title=www.pnhp.org/stateactions
href="http://www.pnhp.org/stateactions">www.pnhp.org/stateactions</A> or
call (312) 782-6006.</I></DIV>
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