Countdown to Action ~ Support Health Care Reform ~ Washington, D.C. Rally June 25th!

Please join the NPA in Washington, D.C. June 25^th for a rally and legislative visits to Secure Health Care for All. Our partner, Health Care For America Now!, is organizing this event with the goal of bringing at least 5000 supporters of health care reform to Washington. Come and help make history! Let Congress know that our patients deserve guaranteed access to high quality, affordable health care. 

Tentative Agenda:

Wednesday, June 24^th                4 ~ 10 p.m., NPA Communications Workshop and Lobby Day Training, followed by a Reception and Candlelight Vigil

Thursday, June 25^th                11:45 a.m. ~ 12:30 p.m., Rally

1 ~ 4 p.m., Lobby Visits & Town Hall Meetings

NPA will help you set up visits with your Senators and Representatives and provide materials. HCAN is providing bus transportation from many East Coast locations. Let us know if you would like information about a bus from your area.  Help NPA make the most of your visit by letting us know that you are coming. Please click here to RSVP:

The debate about a public plan option continues as Congress returns to session. In the May 28, 2009 New England Journal of Medicine, Jacob Hacker, Ph.D. discusses the benefits of a public plan option. A public plan option would increase the number of Americans who are insured via private insurance. A public plan option would broaden the available options for those who would otherwise have to be covered under private plans. It would also provide a much needed check on sky-rocketing costs of insurance premiums. Private plans would likely provide more flexibility but if access to care was limited by such plans, then the public would have a viable option. A feasible public-plan option would involve: 1) rules that apply to both private and public plans; 2) risk adjustment; and 3) regional pricing. 

In a second article in the NEJM, Mark Pauly, Ph.D. asserts that having a mix of private and public options available to the public will provide options to consumers for various types of insurance. He argues that reform should entail extending such options to those who would not otherwise have them. Having choices will likely lead to consumers maintaining their insurance status in the long run. This would encourage competition, making both public and private plans more consumer-driven.

A third article in NEJM, discusses the need for real reform. Currently, our health care system has 3 major flaws: 1) roughly 45-50 million people are uninsured; 2) health care costs are high and rapidly increasing; and 3) the quality of care is inconsistent. Victor Fuchs, Ph.D. argues that real reform would tackle all three of these problems at once.

On Tuesday June 2, the Council of Economic Advisors released the report, "The Economic Case for Health Care Reform."   It highlights the need for health care reform by emphasizing the inefficiencies in the current system, the rising costs and the poor resu

It emphasizes the ever increasing premium costs and how these costs are passed on to the consumer in the form of lowered wages. 

This week's media debate highlighted the debate between Senator Kennedy (for a public plan option) and Senator Baucus (who is working with Senator Grassley to craft a bill in the Senate Finance Committee). Reportedly, House Democratic leaders are considering a plan which is closer to Senator Kennedy's plan. News of a possible compromise position -the "trigger"-has sprung up, considering the creation of a public plan option if private insurers had not made affordable coverage options available to the public. See the article in the New York Times:

More on the recent televisions spots starring NPA members Dr. Bethany Picker and Val Arkoosh!

On May 30, NPA members in Seattle teamed up with other local health care providers and turned out in force to our big Seattle health care reform rally yesterday. The rally was endorsed by hundreds of organizations including NPA, and included appearances by Senator Patty Murray and Rep Jim McDermott. Reports Jeff Huebner, "We had a beautiful sunny day, and it was a sight to see the thousands of people stretched out over about 12 blocks walking toward the mountains in support of health care for all."

On June 2, Dr. Marc Dalton represented NPA at a legislative briefing on Capitol Hill sponsored by the National Academies of Practice.

Dr. Ari Silver-Isenstadt represented the NPA at a press conference held by Rep Alyson Schwartz regarding her new bill, Preserving Patient Access to Primary Care of 2009, H.R. 2350.  And we got "cool" blog coverage by ACP:

Have 30 minutes? Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper by going to the following site: http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1021/t/1926/letter/?letter_KEY=1145

      Look for a NPA Communications Workshop event near you! NPA is holding workshop events around the country. These sessions give you the tools to discuss health care reform with your colleagues, patients, policy makers and the media.  Boston, Seattle, Chicago and Los Angeles are in the planning stages. If you can help plan a session in your city please e-mail npa@npalliance.org

Save the date!  Plan to come to Washington, DC on June 25^th to support Secure Health Care for All.  RSVP HERE!

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