Health Care For America Now

Who are they kidding with their new campaign?

Last February, a poll by Lake Research Partners for HealthCare for America Now found 78% of voters believe that health insurance companies "put profits before people." It turns out that a few months later the CEO of WellPoint, the nation's biggest health insurance company, said yes, that's true! In April, WellPoint CEO Angela Braly told investors, "We will not sacrifice profitability for membership." In other words, we won't sell health coverage to more people if it means we will lose money.

We doubt that's what WellPoint will tell the uninsured Ohio residents that they and the health insurance industry lobbying group are gathering tomorrow (Tuesday July 22nd) in Columbus Ohio. That's when AHIP (America's Health Insurance Plans) is holding the kick-off for the health insurance industry's campaign to protect their profits in health care reform.

I want to take a moment and address those of you who have been asking why Health Care for America Now isnot focusing on creating a single-payer health insurance system. First of all, here is HCAN's official position:

The goal of Health Care for America Now is to build a national movement to win the implementation of health care reform that meets the principles in our Statement of Common Purpose. We believe that a properly designed single-payer bill is one way of doing that but not the only way. Many of the organizations that belong to HCAN support single-payer reform and have endorsed HR-676. But in joining HCAN, they recognize that the major focus needs to be on winning quality, affordable health care for all rather than advocating for only one approach. Health Care for America Now believes that the big divide in our country on health care is between those of us who believe that there needs to be substantial government involvement in guaranteeing quality, affordable health care for all and those who think that the solution is to rely ever more on an unregulated private market.

I was a leader of the fight for single-payer reform during from 1988 to 1994. I co-wrote with Richard Gottfried - then and now the Chair of the Health Committee of the New York State Assembly - the only fully-financed single-payer billto ever pass a state legislative body in the country. I shared the responsibility with Assemblyman Gottfried for presenting single-payer at twelve debates sponsored by Governor Mario Cuomo in 1991 on healthcare reform proposals. I wrote a training manual and talking points for candidates for Congress to use in running on single-payer in 1992. I could go on, but you get the idea.

About a year and a half ago I asked some of the folks I work with whether it was time to start a new campaign for national health care. Well tomorrow – on July 8th – that campaign is about to launch with a roar. In 52 cities around the country, including state capitals in 38 states, people will be standing up to declare that it’s time once and for all to guarantee good, affordable health care to everyone in our country.

We’ll have a DC launch too, with the heads of some of the biggest unions, community groups, women’s organizations, netroots and progressive think tanks joining to together to send this rocket aloft. And we’ll have a fun but pointed national TV and print ad buy that lays it out simply: you can’t trust the health insurance industry to fix the health care mess. Plus, more than 5 million people will get our first email blast.

But the heart and soul of this campaign will be outside the Beltway, where the high cost and endless hassle of trying to get past the health insurance companies to the health care we need is driving people nuts. And now driving us to do something about it.