The 99% Declaration » 6. Healthcare for All

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# 6. Healthcare for All

Grievances Add comments
Dec 082011

Healthcare for All. Medicare for all or adoption of a universal single-payer healthcare system. The broken Medicaid program will be eliminated as redundant. Affordable healthcare for all shall be a human right.

Article 25 of the U.N. Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) reads:

> Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control. Likewise, Article 12 of the U.N. International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (1966) reads:

> 1. The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. 2. The steps to be taken by the States Parties to the present Covenant to achieve the full realization of this right shall include those necessary for: (a) The provision for the reduction of the stillbirth-rate and of infant mortality and for the healthy development of the child; (b) The improvement of all aspects of environmental and industrial hygiene; (c) The prevention, treatment and control of epidemic, endemic, occupational and other diseases; (d) The creation of conditions which would assure to all medical service and medical attention in the event of sickness.

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### 30 Responses to “6. Healthcare for All”

1. kforthun says:
   2012/01/24 at 11:51 pm

   Single Payer
   Basic, well studied, understandable, already introduced, easy to implement, information on the topic easily accessible, arguments against it easily accessible and already well debunked. EASY. DONE!

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2. robdinsmore says:
   2012/01/24 at 11:10 am

   How would medicare for all actually work? What is the cost per person? Do we increase medicare tax to cover the costs, or is there some way to make that “optional.” I mean can an employer pay most if not all of the additional cost as a benefit?

   And if it is paid for by increasing medicare taxes, then it is mandatory for all working people and hence will suffer the same backlash that we had back in 2009.

   Do we want to simply demand passage of HR 676? The bill exists, it calls for single payer and it outlines how to pay for it.

   http://johnconyers.com/hr676faq

   I found the above link via google. It looks like the plan here is to bump payrol taxes for medicare to 4.75% from 1.45% and to add some sort of tax on higher earners. It is not clear to me if this tax has the same structure as the current payroll taxes nor what 5% and 1% income earners are in terms of salary. Now payroll taxes are very regressive. Employees/employers pay taxes through the firsts 107k in salary and then neither pay anything.

   From the bill:

   (c) Funding.—

   (1) In general.—There are appropriated to the USNHI Trust Fund amounts sufficient to carry out this Act from the following sources:

   (A) Existing sources of Federal government revenues for health care.

   (B) Increasing personal income taxes on the top 5 percent income earners.

   (C) Instituting a modest and progressive excise tax on payroll and self-employment income.

   (D) Instituting a small tax on stock and bond transactions.

   It’s interesting but I want to see the details on what these actually mean. I wrote an email to the congressman on that site. He is not my congressman, but maybe he will respond. This is what I asked:

   I am curious about some of the finer details in in HR 676 on financing in sec 211(c)1.

   How exactly would the new taxes work? Are the payroll taxes simply going to be increased to employer/employee paying 4.75% + 6.2% up to the first $106.8k? ( or whatever it is now) I do not like this because I think it creates an incentive for employers to inflate high earners salaries more than increasing the wages of regular employees. For employers it now costs 7.65% to add 1 million dollars in salary to 1000 employees making less than the limit, but it does not cost them anything to pay 10 executives an extra 100k. If this new plan changes that to 10.95% it will further exacerbate the problem.

   I see in the costs that there is a tax placed on high earners of 5-10% and some excise tax paid by employers. What is this progressive excise tax? It seems like it could address my gripe above to some extent but I would like to see the details.

   And finally the tax on stock and bond transactions. What is it? Is it a tax on every transaction? How much is it? If so won’t it have an impact on people’s ability to save for retirement? I understand that healthcare costs are a huge part of retirement spending, but placing a tax on savings is also very problematic. I do tend to think that some sort of tax on trades makes sense, I just think that it may need to be organized in such a way as to not impede savings. Perhaps individuals can get a tax credit for these taxes on all long term investments when it comes time to withdraw from their 401ks.

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3. tvargo says:
   2012/01/22 at 6:43 pm

   Personally, I would like to see something under the health care grievance about making natural health care available and covered by the insurance companies, allowing the institutes that teach all the different methods of natural health care to be eligible for grants (their students to be eligible for grants), and for natural treatments for diseases such as cancer to be available and covered by our insurance policies. As of right now, the only treatments available and covered by insurance companies for cancer are the ones that profit the pharmaceutical companies and are extremely harmful to the patients. I would also like to see something put in about doctors not being able to be paid by pharmaceutical companies when they prescribe their medications to patients.( I could not tell you how many times I have gone to a doctor just to be treated like a number and handed a prescription for a medication that has side effects that can be more harmful to me than the problem I went to them for. When I point that out to them and inform them of natural alternatives they have no idea what to say.)

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4. Geri.Krista says:
   2012/01/19 at 1:38 pm

   SOPA can negatively effect more than just just Internet rights.

   See:

   http://www.naturalnews.com/034695_SOPA_free_speech_health_freedom.html

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5. Geri.Krista says:
   2012/01/19 at 1:21 pm

   I am working on a revolutionary health care program. It concerns the way people get well and stay healthy. It concerns new roles for all health care providers. It does not include insurance companies.

   It is not yet developed enough to share. If anyone in a leadership role in this movement is interested, please contact me.

   Dr. Geri Krista

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   - kforthun says:
     2012/01/24 at 11:28 pm

     Hi Krista! Very cool, I’m pretty sure we are all volunteers and the ones who are or will be “in charge” are the delegates who win the election here…

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6. dirtfarmer50 says:
   2012/01/02 at 5:07 pm

   what about the suffering and outrageously medical field specialist used to be a good thing know they make you suffer by holding your life giving medications hostage over 70% of this nations injured people suffer needlessly every day because dr’s are dodging the pain problem in America shut down the money machine and make these dr’s and nurses human again.or pay for satisfaction of quality by there patients.and stop use sing Americans as guinea pigs

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7. smlgjohn says:
   2011/12/25 at 10:50 am

   health care should not be a for profit endeavour except to allow a small profit with a cap to those innovating the field to drive down costs and improve the quality of care

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   - robdinsmore says:
     2012/01/14 at 1:15 pm

     Agreed. Things that people rely on should not be subject to supply and demand economics, i.e. profit.

     The profit does not really go to those innovating in the field. It goes to the executive staff and the large shareholders, not the scientists who toil to make the discoveries needed.

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     - rogers says:
       2012/01/20 at 11:37 am

       You pined the tail on the donkey “so to speak. health care ‘specifically Insurance’, should not be a commodity traded on wallstreet . Aetna today trades at $43 a share 99rs lets ask the chief executive ? if a citizen becomes ill should he have his insurance reovked due to premiums because he cannot work ? a working citizen has no chance without representation, the movement ‘change the system’ .

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8. dawn.schneider.TN says:
   2011/12/24 at 9:57 am

   With Medicare for all we do need some quality control follow up, basically something like if someone uses the ER a couple of times with no Primary Care Doctor visit, a social worker needs to find out why and see if maybe something could be done to fix the problem, I have neighbors without transportation, they were assigned doctors not on a bus line or a doctor who said sorry no medicaid appointments for 6-8 months. With some help they have now found a doctor on the bus line who has a much sooner new patient appointment. Other people need the help of a casemanger to deal with the system if they have a major illness or injury doing so gets better care and more effecient care. For me 3 differetn doctors all want to do thyroid test, I have to fuss to get them to look at each others lab work. I am sure there is the computer programs who can flag stuff like that and keep cost down.

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9. Mark Greene says:
   2011/12/19 at 10:01 am

   Medicare for all is the answer, but there should be no provision prohibiting the private market from attempting to compete, offering coverage for deductibles, expedited or specialty treatments, off-listing or experimental drugs and treatments, etc.

   It is important to note that, in addition to eliminating the need for Medicaid, this adjustment would also eliminate the need for a separate military/VA healthcare system, which is, along with Medicare, extremely efficient in its current delivery compared with private for-profit providers.

   And finally, props to commentors for noting the distinction between health care and health insurance, an important aspect too long missing in the national discourse on this critical topic.

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   - Geri.Krista says:
     2012/01/19 at 1:22 pm

     Medicare is not perfect, but we could start with Medicare for all and then evolve the system.

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10. Dan Long says:
    2011/12/19 at 5:09 am

    I’m willing to use the definitions described above, and say that health care is a visit to the doctor, and health insurance is to offset that cost of the visit to the doctor. I see no need for insurance at all. When you consider health insurance as a bet, you are going to lose. The odds are clearly in the favor of the insurance company since they set the rates that they will pay, and the rates that you will pay.

    Health care should be made available to all, regardless of ailment, or pre-existing conditions. For many years, I was a project manager in the construction field that moved around the nation to where the building was going on. Every time I changed companies, the health insurance also changed. The worst part was having to deal with different state laws in determining your rights to be insured.

    Medicare presently pays 80% of my health care costs, and I am responsible for the other 20%. I am responsible for my entire prescription costs. There is very little reason that it can’t be jacked up to 95%/5% coverage. The insurance policy that covers the 5% would finally be affordable for retirees that live on a fixed income, and the funds from Medicaid could be contributed to the Medicare fund.

    Legislation for medicine also needs to take place. The state of Pennsylvania forbids a doctor from charging more than Medicare will normally pay for that service that was rendered, so I never got a bill in Pennsylvania. That legislation needs to take place in every state.

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11. Nathan D says:
    2011/12/19 at 1:03 am

    Another thought to go with healthcare reform: provide a health care records industry that helps people maintain their health care records and allows them to easily transfer their whole file from one health care provider to another. Then break apart these huge health care conglomerates so that you can choose your doctor, then choose your lab, choose your own imaging specialist, etc. for each aspect of your care.

    Pro: consumer choice for each health care activity and the records (prescriptiosn) are seemlessly transfered to any provider of your choice, regardless of hospital, clinic, or system affiliation. (minimizes cost by ensuring lots of compitition)

    Con: might lose the convenience of having all health care in one place.

    Exceptions: hospitals where lots of different medical specialties have to work together in tightly integrated teams would be excempted from the breakup. This idea is primarily for out-patient care where people have time and resources to travel from provider to provider as they get each part of their care.

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12. Nathan D says:
    2011/12/19 at 12:55 am

    Right now health care in our country seems to be run by a few very large pharmaceutical companies who have a vested interest in our remaining sick, but not too sick, so that we have to continually use their expensive products.

    A public health care system should look for the things that give these companies a “monopoly” position and wherever possible put that monopolistic part of the business under public ownership and leave the non-monopolistic part in private hands. The public portion should be operated to stay economically sound while minimizing costs to the all its customers. This should level the playing field between the big companies, small companies, and individual consumers.

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13. Liz Ellis says:
    2011/12/18 at 11:57 pm

    I do not have the details about MediCare, but I would ask that this grievance consider pre-existing conditions and medications. I agree that access to affordable health care is a right, not a privilege, and I agree that no one should be mandated to spend their money on health care, if this is not something they want. What I hope is that whatever system evolves, it includes previously existing conditions, and provides affordable prescriptions and medical supplies.

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14. Caroline says:
    2011/12/18 at 2:55 pm

    While I agree with this item in principle (universal health care for all), its language needs to be refined and expanded, preferably by those that deal with health care inequality in this country on a daily basis. As a nation, we can and should do better than Medicare for All. Although that would be a good start, Medicare does not cover many things that should be covered under a universal health care plan, including hearing aids, vision services, dental services, preventative care, chiropractic, long-term nursing home care, or medical foods consumed orally for inborn errors of metabolism, malnutrition, severe allergy or gastrointestinal disorders.

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15. David Gilbert says:
    2011/12/16 at 7:19 am

    Medicare For All. Allow Medicare to purchase drugs directly. Give the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MEDPAC) more authority to drive down medical costs. End fee-for-service in medical care.

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    - kforthun says:
      2012/01/24 at 11:55 pm

      Bingo!

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16. Laura says:
    2011/12/13 at 2:50 pm

    Demand universal healthcare yes, but not a single-payer system, that is too pigeon holed. It would be wise to learn from health care systems that have already worked well in other countries. We should leave open flexibility for designing a system that works best for America regardless of whether or not it is single-payer.

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    - Ted Apelt says:
      2011/12/15 at 6:10 pm

      I agree. “Single-payer” sounds like “monopoly” to me, and I also see no reason why billionaires should get free health care. Instead, push for health care that is affordable to everyone, however it is paid for.

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17. GlennZ says:
    2011/12/13 at 6:22 am

    Healthcare is an “inalienable right” just like “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” – maybe it evolves to a Constitutional Amendment.

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    - kforthun says:
      2012/01/24 at 11:57 pm

      GlennZ, I hope you run to be a delegate! Woot!

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18. Chris Hall says:
    2011/12/11 at 1:12 am

    I’m not entirely sure I agree fully with mandated health insurance, which is what this appears to be. I think we really need to be more specific on this point. Health care and health insurance are NOT the same. While I agree fully that every person has a right to access to fair and affordable medical care, I do not agree that every person has a right to medical insurance.

    In respect to Thania, I wont go any farther with my opinion and merely suggest that, if what is asked for is Health Insurance (eg Medicare), then that is what it should say.

    I wasn’t sure exactly what was being asked for until I viewed this page and I think that’s a dangerous state. These things need to be clear and concise in such a way that they can be understood at a glance.

    Just to be clear, health care is something you get at a hospital; Health insurance is what you get to help you pay for health care. This is an important distinction that I think should be made completely clear in the text of our demands.

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    - blake says:
      2012/01/02 at 11:18 pm

      In today’s system they are one and the same. Without health insurance you are basically stuck with the emergence room. Which is access, but not what I would call health care. With health insurance you get preventive care. With the emergence room you just get patched-up after the fact. Also emergence room care is the most expensive form care that can be delivered. So it not access that is lacking, it is the health insurance that is lacking.

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19. Eric Soko says:
    2011/12/10 at 5:05 pm

    So this is this referring to “undoing” the privately run health care system right. So what type of health care system do you plan to put in its stead? A Socialistic Health care system ran by the Government or a elected comity?

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20. Dan says:
    2011/12/10 at 11:36 am

    This healthcare will only be available to citizens and/or otherwise legal residents of the country.

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21. Marquest Burton says:
    2011/12/10 at 11:17 am

    Greetings! Friends

    Health care is a human right that all governments of the earth must reverence and respect. It is my prayer, sincere hope and blessed desire in the most High that he moves the hearts, minds and bodies of various elected leaders to take seriously these grievances of the 99 percent particularly concerning universal health care.

    Peace be unto you!
    Marquest Burton

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22. Thania says:
    2011/12/10 at 1:41 am

    You should put a disclaimer after each “Chapter/Petition” asking people to only comment with SUGGESTIONS, not OPINIONS.

    I was just about to say “Haha yeah, I can’t wait to see all the healthcare corporations reaction to that.” And I realized that sentences like that will just create idiot debates and commentary NOT beneficial to the progress of these petitions.

    SO PLEASE FELLOW COMMENTERS, save your opinions/comments and contribute only words—constructive criticism and suggestions— that will shape these petitions in a way that represents America.

    Website Moderator: feel free to delete my comment if you decide to post a disclaimer.

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