Archive for July, 2009

July30

Everyone in, no one out: Single-payer health care now!

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rally

What a time it was! Over 2,000 people gathered in Upper Senate Park today to show Congress and President Obama the kind of support single-payer health care has in America.

They were doctors, nurses, lawyers, politicians, activists, seniors, faith groups, students and average Americans working for a better system. They came from New York, Pennsylvania, California, Wisconsin, Georgia and many other states, all bearing a common desire: a single-payer system.

With the Capitol Building looming in the background, our own Dr. Sidney Wolfe spoke, as did Dr. David Scheiner, President Obama’s former physician. In fact, Dr. Scheiner has been sought by news outlets all over the country, like CNN, MSNBC, the Los Angeles Times, the Wall Street Journal, National Public Radio, and many more.

See more pictures from the rally on our Flickr page.

Posted in: Activism, Congress, Health19 comments

July30

Medicare's 44th birthday

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cupcake

Medicare, one of the government’s most popular programs, turns 44 today. To celebrate, Public Citizen is working with Physicians for a National Health Plan and Healthcare-NOW! to advocate for a program that might be just as popular: a single-payer health system.

As President Obama works with different parties with a stake in health care reform, one increasingly vocal constituency is senior citizens. Why? They don’t want to see their beloved Medicare cut down to anything less than it is today. According to the Wall Street Journal, Obama has spent much time with the AARP reassuring them that any cuts are intended to reduce wasteful spending, not benefits.

If only everyone could have this kind of concern. Congress and the President still refuse to consider the single-payer option, under which everyone would have health insurance, regardless of ability to pay or previous medical conditions.

But in an attempt to change that, Public Citizen is participating in a rally today at the Capitol to help show just how many people support a single-payer system. Joining us is Dr. David Scheiner, who was President Obama’s primary care physician for 22 years while he lived in Chicago. Though Dr. Scheiner is a big fan of the President, he believes that any proposed health care reform that does not involve a single-payer plan will not work.

In addition to Dr. Scheiner, Reps. John Conyers (D-Mich.), Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), Eric Massa (D-NY) and Anthony Weiner (D-NY) will speak at the rally. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) will be in attendance as well. Throughout the event, about 100 D.C. taxis will circle the rally bearing signs indicating their support for a single-payer system.

Look for updates, pictures, and video from today’s event in the coming days. If you’re in town, please join us at the rally! We need all hands on deck to get our message firmly across: the American people will not sit idly by while our government refuses to consider the single-payer option.

Flickr photo by bookgrl.

Posted in: Activism, Congress, Health0 comments

July23

Holding bad doctors (and the government) accountable

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The California Endowment Health Journalism Fellowships program is shining a light on our recent report detailing how hospitals are failing to report dangerous doctors to the National Practioner Data Bank. The program was established to provide journalists with tools to report on health-related topics.

William Heisel, writing for the group’s Antidote blog, calls our report “comprehensive and critical” and concludes:

The National Practitioner Data Bank will only improve if we keep the people reporting to it honest.

Heisel suggests this be done through the media. He suggests that writers follow up on recommendations and legislation years after it is passed to evaluate its implementation and/or success. By doing so, reporters can perform the essential function of holding government accountable. Had anyone done that in this case, they would have learned that hospitals were failing miserably in reporting bad docs as required.

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Posted in: Consumer Protection, Health, Uncategorized1 comments

July23

Don't dial and drive?

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CBS Evening News with Katie CouricThere are never enough hours in the day to get everything done, so many of us multitask by making calls while driving. But research by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration  shows that dialing and driving is just as dangerous as drinking and driving. In fact, researchers found that motorists talking on a phone are four times as likely to crash as other drivers, and are as likely to cause an accident as someone with a .08 blood alcohol content.

Even more, the government has known since 2003 that drivers talking on their cell phones experience the same potentially deadly distraction whether they are using a handheld device or hands-free technology. At least five states and the District of Columbia have passed laws requiring drivers to use hands-free phones, mistakenly believing those devices to be safe and encouraging drivers to use them. But the research shows that it’s the conversation itself, not the device, that diverts attention away from the road.

Why haven’t you heard this before? Because the documents from 2003 were kept under wraps by the government. That’s right—instead of protecting the safety of Americans, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration sat on them for years. The only reason  they came to light: Public Citizen (representing The Center for Auto Safety) sued under the Freedom of Information Act to get them, and we won.

Since we gave the documents to The New York Times, media outlets all over the country have asked the same question: why was the information withheld? CBS Evening News with Katie Couric interviewed our attorney in charge of the case, as ABC World News with Charles Gibson covered the story too. As our attorney, Margaret Kwoka, said:

It is a travesty that NHTSA kept secret factual information that could have saved lives. Although FOIA protects an agency’s decision-making process, these documents reflect facts about safety risks that the public had every right to see.

Posted in: Consumer Protection, Litigation, Transportation5 comments

July21

Money talks

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We all know that money talks to lawmakers and helps gets things done for those who fork over the cash to bolster congressional campaigns.

But this quote in today’s Washington Post really drove it home. It came from from a donor attending a chicken cordon bleu dinner with Sen. Max Baucus to benefit the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

“Most people there had an agenda; they wanted the ear of a senator, and they got it. Money gets you in the door. The only thing the other side can do is march around and protest outside.”  – Aaron Roland, San Francisco health care activist

Ouch. Roland, by the way, paid half the $10,000 price to sit at the table with Baucus, who is spearheading the Senate health care reform effort.

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Posted in: Uncategorized4 comments

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