What in the world is wrong with national single-payer health coverage?

Not a single thing.

1Payer.net

I joined.

You can, too.

http://www.1payer.net/my-1payernet/profile.html?userid=124

And when you have finished setting up your profile and inviting each and every member to become your friend (copying and pasting your introduction message helps... hint), then you can head over to a couple other great sites -- http://healthcare-now.org and Heath Care for All Now's http://ninenineohnine.org.

Help us get the word out and educate about single-payer, and specifically HR-676. Americans have spent too much time doing without health coverage and care, while the entire rest of the industrialized world has health coverage as part of their social infrastructure. No one asks you to show your fire or crime insurance when you call the fire or police departments, so why should you be asked to show your private insurance card to see a doctor?

Why in the world do we continue to allow private insurance and health group CEO's to be among the highest paid in the nation, in the world? Google it. Michele Swensen wonder's the same in her January 17, 2009 article "Sick Around the World: Contrasting U.S. Health Care with 5 other Capitalist Countries".

Someone on 1Payer.net wrote to me to say,

"Thanks for thinking of us back in the states and joining in. Any Websites, studies or books that you can refer us to on the French health care system, especially economic studies would be appreciated. People don't believe in the "Sicko" footage or the recent PBS documentary on "Sick Around the World" on foreign health care systems."

The Bismark Model

What in the world is wrong with people who don't want to believe when the information and the accompanying facts are laid out for them? Well, I am on a mission to tell. The more the merrier, feel free to jump in and join me. I am over here (and always thinking of everyone back in my other home), and I am an American married to a doctor in the French public hospital system (25+ years now), and I know. First hand.

You can believe Michael Moore, even if you don't particularly like him (like I do), and you can believe the Frontline documentary. They aren't secret socialists seeking to pervert or convert our good capitalists. If Jesus said render unto Cesar that which is Cesar's, I say render unto the market that which is the market's. Healthcare and healthcare coverage are not market commodities, and never should have been considered thus. They are a social necessity and universal, affordable access is the right of each and every citizen and legal resident of a nation.

It does wonders for companies' bottom lines and profitability, too. Just ask GM.

While you're at it, hit this link and sign Michael's petition to show your support for HR-676, and if you really just can't do that, then here's HR-676 co-sponsor John Conyers' site link.

HR-676 made it into February's issue of Harper's Magazine. It's the cover story by Luke Mitchell,

Sick in the head:

Why America won't get the health-care system it needs

From John Conyers' website:

This month, Rep. Conyers’ universal healthcare bill, H.R. 676, was mentioned in the Harper’s Magazine. H.R. 676 is a bill that would cover all Americans with guaranteed, high quality healthcare. For almost a year now, Rep. Conyers has been meeting with doctors from many specialties, public health experts, labor advocates, consumer advocates, and universal healthcare organizers, to discuss methods of increasing support for single-payer in the upcoming discussion on healthcare reform.

And this is what John Conyers had to say about that:

“It is very pleasing to see that single-payer healthcare was mentioned favorably in such a widely circulated publication. For years, many people have worked extremely hard to show the merits of this type of system. Now that we know that the discussion on healthcare reform is taking place in the very near future, this article furthers the case for single-payer will be taken seriously as a comprehensive method for financing healthcare. Because of its inherent cost-containing mechanisms, it is time others seriously consider bringing single-payer into the discussion on reform.”

So, join the discussion and the effort. We're only waiting for you. And then, let's roll this growing snowball straight down the mountain together.
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