The Great American Hospital Organizing Campaign has begun!

Chico David, BSN, RN · Mar 19, 2009

For all of us who believe nurses do better in unions, and all of us who believe the US health care system needs big change, this is very good news indeed. This will let us move forward in a whole new way.

RN4MERCY · Mar 20, 2009

"However brilliant an action, it should not be esteemed great unless the result of a great motive."

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld, French author (1613-1680)

IMHO the great motive is the achievement of a Single Payer, "Medicare for All" health care system in this country! As Eleanor Roosevelt said, "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." The beautiful thing is that it's not just a dream, it's legislation: H.R. 676--The United States National Health Insurance Act. :redpinkhe

Honnête et Sérieux · Mar 25, 2009

The consolidation of corruption.

Brings a tear to my eye.

allnurses Guide · Mar 25, 2009

sarcasm

SandraCVRN · Apr 12, 2009

"
IMHO the great motive is the achievement of a Single Payer, "Medicare for All" health care system in this country!

Good luck finding doctors when we have medicare for all. There is a serious decline in surgeons esp cardic surgeons. My docs tell me they are paid 80% less now (for medicaid pts)then 20 years ago, the anesthesiologists have told me the same thing.

Just months ago both these groups were touting the evils of the group...........

Now we are supposed to trust them both??????????????? :twocents:

RN4MERCY · Apr 12, 2009

Good luck finding doctors when we have medicare for all. There is a serious decline in surgeons esp cardic surgeons. My docs tell me they are paid 80% less now (for medicaid pts)then 20 years ago, the anesthesiologists have told me the same thing.
Just months ago both these groups were touting the evils of the group...........
Now we are supposed to trust them both???????????????

So, what's wrong with organizing and demanding reinvestment in public health care, fair compensation for services, public accountability, and equitable access to care? What's wrong with replacing the bureaucratic mess of multiple greedy insurance payers' multiple rules, and multiple plans, with just one public payer? A publicly accountable payer, with one set of rules for coverage and reimbursement?

As Florence Nightingale said, "Were there none who were discontented with what they have, the world would never reach anything better." As a nurse, I'm sure fed up with a system that harms people and sacrifices them on the altar of greed. Ms Nightingale also said this, "I think one's feelings waste themselves in words; they ought all to be distilled into actions which bring results." I think Florence would be proud of the United American Nurses/National Nurses Organizing Committee for taking action in support of expanding and improving Medicare for all.

Insurers deny payment for services, rescind coverage, exclude sick people from being able to buy affordable coverage, and restrict choice of providers/facilities, and make buckets full of profits for what? Why? Because they can. Because they buy off politicians with campaign contributions and those politicians push through laws that assure corporate profit, at the expense of the rest of us. What a ripoff. Socially and ethically.

The majority of people in this country are in support of a public plan and there are politicians, like Congressman Conyers and the co-sponsors of HR 676 who are working to pass this legislation.

Are the docs you're working with just content to whine about the problem? Don't they realize they're victims of a "learned powerlessness" behavioral conditioning scheme that perfectly suits the corporate agenda? Somehow they've come to believe that the current system is in their best interest. So, as more and more people lose jobs, and employers divest themselves of health insurance benefits, more of their privately "insured" patients won't be able to come to them for care. The best way for them to assure that their patients and their incomes are protected is for them to fight for a a publicly accountable single payer national health plan. Why aren't they working to improve and expand Medicare instead of just complaining about it and turning their backs on patients in need?

I hope you will encourage them to join and help organize with the Physician's for a National Health Program.

Currently, the U.S. health care system is outrageously expensive, yet inadequate. Despite spending more than twice as much as the rest of the industrialized nations ($7,129 per capita), the United States performs poorly in comparison on major health indicators such as life expectancy, infant mortality and immunization rates. Moreover, the other advanced nations provide comprehensive coverage to their entire populations, while the U.S. leaves 47 million completely uninsured and millions more inadequately covered.
Single-payer national health insurance is a system in which a single public or quasi-public agency organizes health financing, but delivery of care remains largely private. Under a single-payer system, all Americans would be covered for all medically necessary services, including: doctor, hospital, long-term care, mental health, dental, vision, prescription drug and medical supply costs. Patients would regain free choice of doctor and hospital, and doctors would regain autonomy over patient care.
Physicians would be paid fee-for-service according to a negotiated formulary or receive salary from a hospital or nonprofit HMO / group practice. Hospitals would receive a global budget for operating expenses. Health facilities and expensive equipment purchases would be managed by regional health planning boards.
A single-payer system would be financed by eliminating private insurers and recapturing their administrative waste.

:idea:

SandraCVRN · Apr 12, 2009

Why aren't they working to improve and expand Medicare instead of just complaining about it and turning their backs on patients in need?

I never said they were whining nor have I ever seen them turn thier backs on anyone.

I'm more concerned about 2 groups that just months ago were both telling me how horrible the other was.

RN4MERCY · Apr 13, 2009

Why aren't they working to improve and expand Medicare instead of just complaining about it and turning their backs on patients in need?
I never said they were whining nor have I ever seen them turn thier backs on anyone.
I'm more concerned about 2 groups that just months ago were both telling me how horrible the other was.

The physician groups were lodging complaints against each other...? I guess I misunderstood the part where you said good luck finding doctors when we have medicare for all...the way I read it, it sounded like there was a decline in surgeons due to the decreased reimbursement rate, so that leaves patients with longer waits and less access to the care they need...so my point was, the doctors leave rather than stay and fight. By leaving, they're in essence turning their backs on patients who need their services. Yes, thank goodness, there are still those who continue to see patients regardless of the fact that reimbursements have decreased. Those doctors would most likely see an increase in income if we had medicare for all because the billing would be simplified--only one payer, so the docs wouldn't have to employ so many billing clerks. And there would be one place to submit a fee for service to, and there would be a transparent and publicly accountable list of all medically necessary health care services that are covered benefits. The doctors would know that they're going to get paid and what they're going to get paid...definitely not true when dealing with the insurance companies and their thousands of "plans," that have so many loopholes and exclusions, even people with insurance are suffering and dying left and right.

SandraCVRN · Apr 13, 2009

I'm more concerned about 2 groups that just months ago were both telling me how horrible the other was.

Sorry I was unclear about which two groups I was talking about, my tired brain knew I was talking about different things. (doctors/unios) I meant NNOC/CNA & SEIU less than 6 months ago they were both telling me (personally) how bad the other was.

I am not against unions, it just scares me that now they seem to be buddies.

Sorry again for the miscommunication.

RN4MERCY · Apr 14, 2009

I'm more concerned about 2 groups that just months ago were both telling me how horrible the other was.
Sorry I was unclear about which two groups I was talking about, my tired brain knew I was talking about different things. (doctors/unios) I meant NNOC/CNA & SEIU less than 6 months ago they were both telling me (personally) how bad the other was.
I am not against unions, it just scares me that now they seem to be buddies.
Sorry again for the miscommunication.

The only scary thing to me is the politicians who seem to have been bought off with insurance and drug company money. The status quo is good for them and they'd rather people fight about whether unions are good or bad and not deal with real issues. It's going to take a lot of hard work to keep the momentum going on our single payer grassroots organizing movement, and union members must lock arms and lead the way to create social change.

When unions are strong, the country thrives. I believe these union leaders understand that if you want to see a stable middle class, dignity, for working people, and a more secure future for America, unions must be strengthened. The barriers to organizing must be brought down, and our fundamental rights to freedom of association must be restored. Both unions are working to win support for the Employee Free Choice Act.

It's refreshing that our union leaders have reached this accord and have demonstrated that principled compromise is achievable, without compromising principles. They're doing what's right for nurses and patients and all workers.

SEIU's Andy Stern was quoted in the New York Times as saying:

"We spent a lot of time watching each other and at times competing with each other, and now we think it's the right time to work together."

The Executive Director of the National Nurses Organizing Committee, Rose Ann DeMoro, was quoted in the same article and stated, "We have a moment to seize," she said. "We have to show hospitals that health care reform is the right thing to do."

K98 · Apr 30, 2009

What Stern was trying to say was, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em". He can pack up his SEIU and get it the heck out of our hospital. I've been in a union my entire working life. The SEIU is not a union,