Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP)

=Physicians for a National Health Program=

Single-Payer research and advocacy group
Like AMSA, we believe that a single-payer healthcare system, which removes the profits from private health insurance industry is the most effective way to pay for healthcare. Given the absence of single-payer (or even a public option) in the national healthcare law (Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act), we are focused now on advocating for states' choice and allowing Oregon to implement its own plan. Here is the PPACA amendment set to go into effect in 2017 from Sen Ron Wyden (D-OR), called Sec 1332, and the [[Media:ERISA.pdf|Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA)]] which might stand in its way.

Monthly Speaker Series
We began a lunch-hosted speaker series this year with experts from around Oregon discussing issues relating to single-payer healthcare. Here is a list of our speakers:
 * 11/1/10: Dr Paul Gorman, Internal Medicine (Portland), Health Reform and the Future of Primary Care ([[Media:101101_OHSU-PNHP2.pdf|Gorman.pdf]])
 * 6/4/10: Dr Samuel Metz, Anesthesiologist (Portland), Wasteful Healthcare Spending ([[Media:Metz.ppt |Metz.ppt]] check out Slide 10 for an excellent summary graphic)
 * 5/21/10: Dr Peter Mahr, Family Physician (Gresham), State Economy and Single Payer
 * 4/23/10: Dr Mike Huntington, Radiologist (Corvalis), What the New Health Bill Means ([[Media:Huntington2.ppt |Huntington2.ppt]])
 * 3/5/10: Dr Paul Hochfeld, Emergency (Corvalis), Incentive Systems in Medicine
 * 2/1/10: Dr Oli Fein, PNHP National President (New York), Washington Politics and Single-Payer Health Care
 * 12/18/09: Dr Mike Huntington, Radiologist (Corvalis)
 * 11/6/09: Dr Paul Hochfeld, Emergency (Corvalis)

Oregon state single payer conference

 * Saturday, January 29th
 * Presbyterian Church in NE Portland
 * US Congressman John Conyers (D-MI) who wrote HR 676, the national single payer bill
 * Dr Margaret Flowers, PNHP legislative fellow
 * Katie Robbins, Healthcare-NOW national organizer
 * Mark Dudzic, national labor organizer
 * Med student workshop!
 * Join the 50 other organizations in our state who support a single payer solution for Oregon!

Lobby Day in Salem
The 2011 Oregon Legislative Session will begin in January 2011. We will be ramping up OHSU student support before then and descend on Salem for a concerted single-payer event.
 * Read the draft of the Oregon Single Payer bill, written by state Rep Michael Dembrow (D-NE Portland)

Meeting Minutes

 * 09/28/10
 * 11/16/10

Take-aways from annual PNHP meeting in Denver, 11/6/10

 * (from MN) Make a list of Oregon docs who would endorse single payer and with their permission, put their names in a list on our webpage. For this project we need to first find out how many Docs practice in Oregon?  Of those Docs,  how many are the PNHP members?  and of those who would be willing to endorse us.
 * (from CA) Organizing medical students for a lobby day
 * Make Posters of sick people and sick children with no health insurance (similar to posters of Great Depression or Holocaust)
 * Create a successful Membership workshop on lobbying
 * Trying to get Interns from the Law schools and Medical School to help
 * Public shows of "Health, Money and Fear", "Sick around the World", and "Sicko"
 * Plan for December 10, Human Rights Day
 * Plan for January 17, Martin Luther King Day
 * Plan for Month of Feb, the Black History Month
 * Get a Table at farmer's markets in April/ May to distribute materials and sign up people
 * Plan for Cinco de Mayo in May to reach out to Latinos
 * Plan for July 1, 2011, Medicare 45th Anniversary
 * Plan to meet with legislators in August Recess
 * Presentation in Public Health Schools
 * Building a South African divestment movement targeting the For-Profit insurance companies (a long term project)

Resources

 * TR Reid's "Sick Around The World" PBS Frontline series
 * AP Poll: 40% of Americans think the PPACA healthcare law did not go far enough: Washington Post article
 * Dr Margaret Flowers on the Ed Schultz show discussing single payer healthcare in light of recent healthcare reform (Forward to 21:00)
 * Amy Goodman (Democracy Now) gives keynote on Media and the Healthcare Reform Debate at PNHP Annual Meeting in Denver, Nov 6, 2010

Framework
Here are the "10 things the Single Payer movement needs" that Ron Hikel (PNHP consultant and formerly ran the Manitoba healthcare system) mentioned at the AMSA Paul Ambrose Health Care for All Leadership Institute in DC on September 18, 2010. This provides a fantastic framework in which to enthuse the movement:
 * 1. 218 votes in the House of Representatives
 * 2. 60 votes in the Senate
 * 3. Single payer organizations in at least 218 Congressional districts and 30 states
 * 4. A minimum of 1,000 activists in each of these Congressional districts and 10,000 to 25,000 in these 30 states (depending on state size)
 * 5. A national network to coordinate and fund these state-specific units
 * 6. A budget allowing the network to spend at least $10 million a year on its program
 * 7. An operationally complete and fully funded draft Bill with a CBO score at least 20% below the ACA or the prevailing national system.
 * 8. Endorsement of the Bill by at least 200 Representatives and 50 Senators
 * 9. At least 50% of the currently licensed physicians in the country publicly supporting this Bill
 * 10. A national campaign exchanging election support by the movement and its members for support of the Bill, over at least 3 to 5 Congressional and 2 Presidential election cycles

OR

CA, FL, IL, MD, MI, OH, OR, PA, TX, WI, MI, NY In either case, a plan on how to get from September 2010 to the starting line – it is out there somewhere.
 * Fully operational and clearly successful single payer systems in 8 to 10 states in different regions including at least 5 of:
 * With 55% of the voters in each of those 8 to 10 states supporting the system

Example of Payroll Tax under a Single Payer system
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