Health Care for All Americans -- Sign the Petition

Our current private health insurance system is the most costly, wasteful, complicated and bureaucratic in the world. Today, 46 million people have no health insurance. Even more are underinsured with high deductibles and co-payments. Close to 20,000 Americans die each year because they don't have regular access to a doctor.

The time is now for our nation to address the most profound moral and economic issue we face. The time is now for our country to join the rest of the industrialized world and provide cost-effective, comprehensive quality health care to every man, woman and child in our country. The time is now to take on the powerful special interests in the insurance and pharmaceutical industries and pass a single-payer national health care program.

Send a message to Congress, sign the petition.

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The Petition:

Whereas:

• 46 million Americans are currently without health insurance;
• 60 million Americans, both insured and uninsured, have inadequate access to primary care due to a shortage of physicians and other health service providers in their community;
• 100 million Americans have no insurance to cover dental needs;
• 116 million adults, nearly two-thirds of all non-seniors, struggled to pay medical bills, went without needed care because of cost, were uninsured for a time, or were underinsured in the last year;
• The United States spends $2.3 trillion each year on health care, 16 percent of its Gross Domestic Product;
• Americans spend $7,129 per person on health care, 50 percent more than other industrialized countries, including those with universal care;
• The U.S. does not get what it pays for. We rank among the lowest in the health outcome rankings of developed countries, and on several major indices rank below some third-world nations;
• The number of health insurance industry bureaucrats has grown at 25 times the growth of physicians in the past 30 years;
• In 2006, the six largest insurance companies made $11 billion in profits even after paying for direct health care costs, administrative costs and marketing costs.

And, whereas:

• Medicare has administrative costs far lower than any private health insurance plan;
• The potential savings on health insurance paperwork, more than $350 billion per year, is enough to provide comprehensive coverage to every uninsured American;
• Only a single-payer Medicare-for-all plan can realize these enormous savings and provide comprehensive and affordable health care to every citizen.

Now, therefore:

• We, the undersigned, urge the United States Congress to pass a single-payer Medicare-for-all program which will provide quality, comprehensive health care for all Americans.

Comments

[rogersma]

You can count me out on this one. I think this is the wrong road to go down. I have private health insurance through the company I work for, but for how long will the company I work for want to subsidise our employee health plan. Pretty soon the company will say no more and let the employees feed off the government plan. Makes sense to them businesswise. And then the 20,000 employees at the company will all be sucking at the teat of the government health plan. It all sounds lovely but I think some in government are smoking crack!

[emilyringstrom]

AMEN! The rest of the world looks at the US with such incomprehension, when it comes to its health care system(or lack thereof). It seems surreal that people continue to accept this, due to some inexplicable, illogical and irrational fear of(drum roll)..."S­OCIALISM". If every man, woman and child in the USA gets affordable health care, you won't automatically become communists! ;o))))))
You only get something back for the paxes you(presumably) pay!

[rogersma]

How do you think the US will pay for this health care reform? Are you willing to have your take home pay cut by 50% or more? Can you pay your living expenses on that? But look on the bright side once we are socialized, you will be able to take public transportation all over for free (since you won't be able to afford a car) and when you are a senior citizen there are all kinds of senior centers you can join for bingo and macrame and finger painting, etc. It will really be good when you are a senior citizen but by then you probably won't give a crap. Maybe you might like living like that. I wouldn't!

[emilyringstrom]

Well, you've certainly bought all the GOP propaganda­...not to worry, you'll still be able to drive your car and pollute the air we all should be able to breathe! ;o)
You're already paying taxes, and so far you've been paying for sending out young men to war...why not pay for the care of your fellow citizens? And yours, of course.
Will your taxes go up? I honestly don't think they will, and that I'll leave for the future to tell. However, if you pay the same percentage, and you get more in return, would you still be so negative about it?

[JXJASON]

Send this article to everyone on your email list and ask them to sign Senator Sander's petition. Also, ask them to send this article to their friends.

Also call and email your members of Congress and ask them to support the legislation that Senator Sanders is proposing.

[TheAlchemist]

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Evidence Based Cost Effective Medicine for All

Single Payer NOW!

[steamboat]

Senator, will you please answer my one question: Can you guarantee me that I will have the same SPEEDY and QUALITY healthcare that you, Teddy, and all the other senators and congressmen have? ABSOLUTELY THE SAME?

Unlike most of these other bloggers on this blog I have National Healthcare now. Its called the healthcare through the Veterans Administration. And it services just several million and not the 300+ million that will be serviced through what you want. I must tell you much of our care depends on where the hospitals and out-patient clinics are located (there not equal). And they do deny absolute top-quality care if they think it costs too much. Example: Some of my friends are denied needed pumps for their diabetes due to costs. And they aren't always fast and efficient when it comes to admittance, paper work, and what have you.

So again, can YOU guarantee me and everybody else we'll have SPEEDY and QUALITY service? I await your reply.

[Provit2me]

I'm a Vet and get great health care and dental. I've had 2 operations and needed ICU once and it was fine. I don't know where you live but I've used Vet clinics from NYC to Norfolk, Va and they we basically the same above average care. The guys and girls that took care of me were great.

[steamboat]

I've used Hines VA Hospital in Maywood, Il (Good) and Jesse Brown VA in Chicago (horrible)­.....Chica­go Hts. Out-Patient (Good) and 95th Street in Chicago (awful). Been to San Antonio, TX (Good) and Kerrville, TX (mediocre at best)

[JustBNice]

Thank you Bernie Sanders!

I hope you get some of your colleagues to speak out with you, too. It's just a matter of time. It happened in other countries, it will happen here out of necessity, eventually.

I've never marched on Washington even though I felt strongly about many marches that took place.

At age 60 I'm ready for this march, and that's what it will take, 47 million strong.

[Star2000dancer]

Health care? What health care? The one that hospiced my Mom while she screamed "MAKE THEM STOP!!!" The one that misdiagnosed me & forced me to apply for disability & almost killed me? The one that denied me therapy & has left me in chronic pain & incapable of working? The one the kills over 1000 people per day due to misdiagnosis alone?
Or the dental care that has taken so many people out of work & made actually homeless because they looked so bad? Couldn't eat right, lost their smile & confidence. The pain they face while being treated like an experimental rat. And they have no recourse, especially at Medical Universities?
I've been to other countries, & I can tell you, very few are worst than the side effect, drug infested, cover you A$$ instead of 1st do no harm health care we have.
Talk to me & I;ll tell you a story that will make your toes curl Bernie. You're one of the few people I'd keep on the hill if I could remake congress. But, if you want to fix health care, I'm one you want to talk to. I'd sign the petition, but I see too many flaws in it that would keep maiming & killing more people than we are in the wars.

[Dogger]

There two components to health care: delivery of service and payment.

You are complaining about delivery of service. We are talking about the payment component.

Your opposition only means that we could have shoddy care and a big bill to boot.

[Pyrum]

Would there be a way for me to opt out of this and pay for all my medical care out of pocket instead? That's the only way I'd agree to it.

[Star2000dancer]

We can't get anything done until we get rid of those blue dogs, those Republican Democrats in the Democratic Party anyway. And kill loobyism. Lobbying is bribery...­period. Anyone who's been bought or sold should be put in jail & everything they own liqidated & given back to people they stole it from to begin with.

[Pyrum]

I like Blue Dog democrats.

[Provit2me]

.....And if I loose my job and all my money can I opt back in? (tic) - (tongue-in-cheek)

[rogersma]

No

[knowhelpnow]

I signed and sent it to everyone in my address book. Senator Sanders maybe the best hope we have if we help him, everyday I send my representatives a little note telling them what I think of their taking money from these health care insurance corporations and Pharma corporations and I even through the financial institutions. I tell them I know they are bought and paid for and that if single payer health care is not passed that come reelection time the people will not forget that one little vote of theirs.

[Mugzi]

Thank you Bernie Sanders for speaking for us! I wish your petition was in a more central location so everyone can read and sign it! You are a true American caring about the citizens.

[jmpurser]

Thank you Senator Sanders for still fighting for Single Payer! I'm SO glad to see one Senator still fighting for the American People.

How do I sign up for the Socialist Party? It seems to the only one representing me!

[Hirnlego]

Nader: Obama’s Flip-Flop on Single Payer
http://www.singlepayeraction.org/blog/?p=1011

[mountclemens]

Thanks, Hirnlego.

Yes, Nader was right. He's still right. The media marginalizes him, shuts him out, allows corporatists (Repubs and most Democrats) to lie about him without calling them on their lies.

If you, my fellow citizens, have been buying the mud thrown at Nader, you need to do just a wee bit of studying and then base your opinion on the truth.

[libladyohio]

I signed your petition Senator Sanders as soon as I got the email from you. Your are a national treasure with all the great things you at least try to do - You are the one senator who we know has our backs.

We could do this easily, I would think, just by raising the top marginal tax rate back to about 50% -it was over 90% during Eisenhower's eight years. Of course nobody is talking about doing that, which says a lot about how far the baseline has veered to the right. Another gift from the "Reagan Revolution".

Polls show that at least two out of three Americans want this, but will that trump cash from lobbyists?

BTW, just heard a description of the right wing's plan, what a joke. They want to ban any public plan because it would put their for profit buddies out of work pronto - which basically proves our point.

[knowhelpnow]

Amen...

[josephebacon]

Thank you for fighting for single payer. My mom and dad lost their house thanks to unaccountable insurance company beancounters refusing to pay for procedures they needed.

I'm sick and tired of hearing the "Government wants to ration healthcare" lies. Healthcare is ALREADY rationed in this company based on the money a person has.

[ENOUGH1]

My daughter has lived in Israel and now resides in Canada. There healthcare if free, of course, they do pay high taxes. She said Israel's was better than Canada's but when they go to the doctor it is absolutely free. They do have to pay for the dentist and prescriptions. Why can't the US have healthcare for everyone if others do? I think we are denied healthcare because of money. Yes, money. If we have healthcare someones pockets wouldn't be greased. It's always about greed.

[rogersma]

"they do pay high taxes". You hit the nail on the head. How else do you think the US will pay for this health care reform? You better believe your take home pay is going to be cut in half to begin with and eventually (if you live long enough under rationed healthcare) be eventually cut to a 40% take home pay. Can you pay your living expenses on that? Course, you will be able to take public transportation all over for free (since you won't be able to afford a car) and when you are a senior citizen there are all kinds of senior centers offering things that might appeal to you. (England tax rate = 65%, Sweden (cradle to the grave) 75% tax rate (and some even pay 105% unbelievable!) but cradle to the grave take care of you but no money in your pocket to invest. Total socialism to the max!! That isn't my style of life. Maybe you might like it.