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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Where are you getting your info Karen ?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>This is not what I saw in the draft legislation, provided by ; The national Labor Campaign for Single Payer, Physicians for a National healthcare Program, Healthcare NOW and Margaret Flowers organization Healthcare over Profit.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Below is what Physicians for a National Healthcare Program have said about Sanders bill and their criticisms of it.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'>Below is PNHP's breakdown of the bill. They support it and are asking people to call their senators, but point out areas for improvement: <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:justify'><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:#00ACA2'>What’s in the bill?</span></b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'>Based on our initial analysis, we find the Medicare For All Act of 2017 to be a significant step forward in the fight for single payer. Taken together with the Expanded & Improved Medicare for All Act (<a href="http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=X%2Fqq7bJf1bixL%2FtiPhzfgXwWlIoVos0n" target="_blank"><span style='color:#1155CC'>H.R. 676</span></a>), it would transform the U.S. healthcare system in a manner consistent with PNHP’s vision.<o:p></o:p></span></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=1 cellspacing=5 cellpadding=0 width=590 style='width:442.5pt'><tr><td style='padding:7.5pt 7.5pt 7.5pt 7.5pt'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Eligibility</span></b><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p></td><td style='padding:7.5pt 7.5pt 7.5pt 7.5pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Everyone is covered automatically at birth. All residents covered regardless of immigration status.<o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr><tr><td style='padding:7.5pt 7.5pt 7.5pt 7.5pt'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Benefits</span></b><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p></td><td style='padding:7.5pt 7.5pt 7.5pt 7.5pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Covers medically-necessary services including primary and preventive care, mental health care, reproductive care, vision and dental care, and prescription drugs.<o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr><tr><td style='padding:7.5pt 7.5pt 7.5pt 7.5pt'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Patient Choice</span></b><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p></td><td style='padding:7.5pt 7.5pt 7.5pt 7.5pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Full choice of any participating doctor or hospital. Providers may not dual-practice within and outside the Medicare system.<o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr><tr><td style='padding:7.5pt 7.5pt 7.5pt 7.5pt'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Patient Costs</span></b><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p></td><td style='padding:7.5pt 7.5pt 7.5pt 7.5pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>No premiums, deductibles or copays for medical services. Balance billing prohibited. Copays for some drugs.<o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr><tr><td style='padding:7.5pt 7.5pt 7.5pt 7.5pt'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Cost Controls</span></b><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p></td><td style='padding:7.5pt 7.5pt 7.5pt 7.5pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Eliminates most roles for private insurance by prohibiting duplicative coverage. Drug prices negotiated with manufacturers.<o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr></table><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:justify'><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:#00ACA2'>How can the bill be improved?</span></b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'>Based on decades of careful analysis and research, PNHP recommends several improvements to the Medicare for All Act that would save even more money and improve patient care:<br><br><b>Fully cover all medications, without copayment:</b> Sen. Sanders’ bill requires patient copays on some non-generic prescription drugs. Research shows that copays of any kind <a href="http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=RcQplbEMEcpGUp7fC479hHwWlIoVos0n" target="_blank"><span style='color:#1155CC'>discourage</span></a> patients from seeking needed medical care, increasing sickness and long-term costs. Experience in other nations prove that they are not needed for cost control. <br><br><b>Establish a national long-term care program:</b> In Sen. Sanders’ plan, long-term care would be administered by the states only for low-income individuals, similar to Medicaid today. Long-term care should be provided to all as part of a national health plan. Nearly <a href="http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=Kt%2FOV7a8bfGGSojyomuG5nwWlIoVos0n" target="_blank"><span style='color:#1155CC'>10 million Americans</span></a> need help with the basic tasks of living or help to maintain their independence. More than 80 percent of those who need care live in their communities, not in nursing homes, and nearly 40 percent of them are under age 65. <br><br><b>Fund hospitals through global budgeting:</b> A “global budget” is a lump sum paid to hospitals and similar institutions to cover operating expenses, thereby eliminating wasteful per-patient billing. Global budgets could <i>not</i> be used for expansion or modernization (which would be funded separately through capital allocations), advertising, profit, or bonuses. Global budgeting minimizes hospitals’ incentives to avoid (or seek out) particular patients or services, inflate volumes, or upcode. Without global budgets, the national system has little power to constrain long-term cost growth. <br><br><b>Ban investor-owned health facilities:</b> For-profit health care facilities and agencies provide lower-quality care at higher costs than non-profits, <a href="http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=zMAoFSaLK0oNPFLNU0awZnwWlIoVos0n" target="_blank"><span style='color:#1155CC'>resulting</span></a> in both higher mortality rates and greater payments compared to not-for-profit providers. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Peace-discuss [mailto:peace-discuss-bounces@lists.chambana.net] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Karen Aram via Peace-discuss<br><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, September 14, 2017 9:36 AM<br><b>To:</b> Karen Aram via Peace-discuss<br><b>Subject:</b> [Peace-discuss] Healthcare proposal<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div><div id="js_7rk"><div id="id_59ba9324019313e66367404"><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:4.5pt'><span style='font-family:"inherit","serif"'>My rant this morning:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:4.5pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.5pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"inherit","serif"'>Forgive my lack of enthusiasm for Bernie's successful vote on Single Payer Healthcare, which though better than what we currently have, is still flawed, covering only 80%, and with deductibles as high as $6,700. It is not what other developed nations provide.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:4.5pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.5pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"inherit","serif"'>Bernies' one small step for mankind is a very small step indeed. <br><span class=textexposedshow>It provides little if nothing for the next four years, which will keep those five Democratic Presidential hopefuls who supported his bill, with enough support for their campaigns, and discussion of the details, to keep us all distracted from the realities of our drowning nation.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:4.5pt'><span style='font-family:"inherit","serif"'>According to "left" economist Dean Baker, we don't want to scare people too much, he is referring of course to the powers that be, who are supported by the medical and pharma industries. Yes, we wouldn't want to scare our government now would we?<br>Yet, he has no problem scaring the working class when he insists, rightfully so, that the middle or working classes, not the wealthy will be taxed to pay for it, the elephant in the room, that Bernie has failed to address, that of how to finance it, will be debated endlessly over the next four years, with it likely failing.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:4.5pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.5pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"inherit","serif"'>No one, not one person on "The Real News" or elsewhere has mentioned our military budget which is eating middle class/or working class taxpayers alive, is what we should be focused on in respect to paying for a "universal healthcare system" as other nations possess.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:4.5pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.5pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"inherit","serif"'>What we have is another example of Americans being forced to scramble for crumbs.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>