Our grassroots organizing campaign to get an economic
impact study to pass HB 1660, a Single Payer, guaranteed
healthcare program for all Pennsylvanians, also called
"Family and Business Healthcare Security Act" has reached
higher ground as three separate events converge that bode
extremely well for the eventual passage of the bill.
Here is a summery of these three events:
1) Independence Blue Cross of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh
based Highmark Blue Shield were poised to merge and take
over health insurance coverage here in Pennsylvania.
But both companies withdrew the merger for reasons that had
to do with the fact that the merger would reduce
competition for the health care dollar plus an
unwillingness on the part of both companies to give up the
"Blue Cross-Blue Shield" brand each company spend seventy
years developing.
Bottom line, the merger was not going to be approved very
likely because of activist opposition by groups such as
Healthcare for All Pa.
The merger got lost in the squabble over all of these
details.
Single Payer activists are confident that the failure of
this merger will dramatically boost the prospects that the
Pennsylvania State legislature will pass HB 1660/SB 300,
Universal Healthcare, the "Family and Business Healthcare
Security Act" that Governor Rendell repeatedly said he will
sign.
Executive Director of Healthcare For All Pennsylvania,
Chuck Pennacchio, responded to the January 22, 2009 news by
saying," The dramatic defeat of the previously
"untouchable" health insurance giants signals a power shift
in Harrisburg that nobody saw coming. , Added Pennacchio,
"Healthcare for All Pennsylvania's 8,000 members have spent
much of the last year fighting this monopoly merger, while
advocating for the proven Single Payer Solution--both on
the basis of economics, human decency and simple common
sense. Today we are victorious in blocking the expansion of
an industry that causes the loss of 31 cents out of every
healthcare dollar: an industry that profits off our
suffering, and puts 95% of us at risk for medical
bankruptcy should we experience a medical catastrophe.
Having achieved the first of our two goals, we are now
poised to enact the law called "Family and Business
Healthcare Security Act."
The "Family and Business Healthcare Security Act " will
establish a healthcare policy in the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania by the following terms: publicly-funded,
privately provided, guaranteed, comprehensive, quality,
affordable healthcare for all temporary and legal
Pennsylvanian citizens, plus migrant farm workers and out
of state students.
Every body In. Nobody out.
2) Philadelphia City Council unanimously voted to support
HB 1660 and SB 300.
Passage of HB 1660/SB 300 would give the City of
Philadelphia a estimated $500 million surplus, more than
enough to cover Mayor Nutter's projected budget shortfall
of 2 billion dollars over the next 5 years,
Additionally, HB 1660/SB 300 would guarantee access to
comprehensive health care at much less cost than what
average families are now paying, generate thousands of new
healthcare delivery jobs, save an average business that
provides healthcare, an estimated 25%-60% on health care
costs a year, reduce property tax, (in theory) cut
auto-insurance rates, (in theory) reduce worker's
compensation costs, retain existing businesses and
encourage the development of new businesses, and reverse
the physician and nursing shortages facing cities and rural
areas all across the State.
3) Healthcare For All Pennsylvania are now organizing a
state wide blitz to pass HB 1660/SB 300 legislation.
Eighteen local and regional organizers met last weekend at
the Council of Churches Building in Harrisburg for
training on how to pass theHB 1660 and SB 300.
We learned proven organizing stradegies and tactics at the
meeting for enacting Pennsylvania's "Family and Business
Healthcare Security Act."
Pennsylvania Senate Bill 300 and House Bill 1660 will soon
be reintroduced in the legislature and enjoy unique
political advantages, placing the legislation on the inside
track among universal healthcare proposals across the
nation.
Pennacchio said at the meeting, " Pennsylvania led the
charge that established the nation's independence from
British tyranny in the eighteenth century. Today we declare
our independence from profit-centured health insurance
company tyrants who systematically highjack health care
decisions and funding to maximize profits, perks, and CEO
salaries."
Workshops included education, organization, media and
social media outreach, internal and external communication
and fund raising.
Unique public advantages include: promised signature by
Governor Rendell upon passage of the bill; funding
authority contained within the legislation itself;
bi-partisan co-sponsorship of the bill; overwhelming
bi-partison support for an economic impact study on HB
1660/ SB 300; public opinion support of legislative goals
(68%, 5/1/08, Quinnipaic Survey of Pa).
Thanks to Chuck Pennacchio for providing me the information
to write this article! And thanks to Chuck for his
never-ending persistence in achieving healthcare to all
Pennsylvania citizens.
Thanks also to all members of Healthcare For All Pa, and a
special thanks to Jerry Policoff, who with Chuck, pioneers
this crucial and important work.
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Kate Loving Shenk is a writer, healer, musician and the
creator of the e-book called "Transform Your Nursing Career
and Discover Your Calling and Destiny." Click here to order
the e-book:
http://www.nursingcareertransformation.com
Check Out Kate's Blog and Lens:
http://www.squidoo.com/chuckpennacchio
http://www.katelovingshenk.com/blog
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