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Notable Organization of the Month

Each month Goods for the Planet, LLC highlights an organization, or movement, that shares a cause that is close to our hearts

This Month - Single-Payer Healthcare

Even before the worldwide pandemic we are experiencing, the US has been suffering from great inequalities in the care of its citizens. A medical emergency, even with healthcare coverage from a private insurance company, can devastate a family. They can lose their livelyhood, their home, their credit standing, their close relationships and their peace of mind.

The high majority of Americans are begging for solutions.

The Affordable Care Act (Obama Care) was enacted by the 111th Congress, and signed by President Barack Obama in 2010, and helped millions of low-income families obtain some medical coverage. But coverage is limited, often with high deductibles, and many were left out. Small business owners often are faced with high premiums because their assets are considered income but their debts are ignored.

People of all income levels, who have some medical coverage through their employer, find themselves tied to their employment because of it. And, that coverage has been deminished with each benefits negotiation, or a company decision unforseen, and uncontrolled, by its employees.

With the current pandemic, employment security is very shaky. Millions have been laid off, and are living on unemployment or the generosity of friends and family, or in the streets. And, at the same time that they have no employment, and are threatened or suffering from Covid-19, they have no healthcare. Even if they are able to stay safe from the virus many have other health conditions that are going untreated. The medical debt that people are facing for uninsured, or partially insured, healthcare for themselves and their family members who have not survived will follow them for years to come. And, much of the unpayed debt is passed on to you, the consumer, with increased premiums, reduced coverage and increased taxes to provide essential services such as police, ambulance and emergency care.

As in every other industrialized country in the world -

Life in America does not have to be this way!

Studies have shown that a single-payer, national health insurance program is more efficient, more affordable and can provide everyone in America with comprehensive health care coverage, free at the point of service.

No networks, no premiums, no deductibles, no copays, no surprise bills.
Medicare coverage can be expanded and improved to include: dental, hearing, vision, and home-and community-based long-term care, in-patient and out-patient services, mental health and substance abuse treatment, reproductive and maternity care, prescription drugs, and more.
Negotiate for better prescription pricing and capping what people pay for prescription drugs.

There have been arguments that a single-payer healthcare system would raise taxes, even though everyone understands that the increase in taxes would be less than the premiums that companies and individuals are now paying, resulting in a reduction in healthcare costs, and EVERYONE would have coverage.

There have been arguments that a single-payer healthcare system is socialism. Don't let this scare you away. There are many laws and programs in America that were created for the social good - Unemployment Insurance, Social Security & Medicare, the police & fire departments, libraries, maintenance of roads, parks and bridges, our education system, medical insurance and retirement funds for public employees, Veterans benefits and on and on. These were all decisions that were made by American voters and representatives for the benefit of our society. Before we socialized our fire department homeowners were required to buy a policy with their local fire department for the fire truck to arrive for a fire. If their neighbor didn't have a policy the neighbor's house might burn down, and take their house with it because the situation got out of control. In the same way if your neighbor has no health insurance you can be vulnerable to sickness and disease that they contract. When everyone has healthcare we all benefit!

There have been arguments that if there was a single-payer system thousands of people would lose there jobs with current insurance companies and billing agencies. A government sponsored healthcare system will need many of those experienced employees to organize a single-payer agency, and they will be better jobs with better benefits providing needed resources to their customers, not denying coverage for the profits of their employers.

It is argued that People may not be as careful with their health if they do not have a financial incentive to do so. Yeah, how's that working out? We all want to be happy and healthy. People in our country go for many years without the healthcare they need. If they are lucky enough to live long enough to get Medicare the damage is done and irreversible. In the meantime many are self medicating or living in constant pain.

It is argued that doctors may spend less time per patient in order to keep costs down. Doctors who provide healthcare while employed by a private corporation are often already limited in the time they can spend with each patient to maximize profits for their employer. Doctors who have private practices currently pay for multiple billing clerks, or spend hours doing the work themselves, because each insurance company has different codes for services and require exact coding for reimbursement, often requiring resubmitting a bill several times. And, those insurance companies will not work with the medical provider at all unless they agree to greatly reduced billing, while the uninsured pay top dollar for their care (when they can afford it). Doctors & nurses want to be doctors & nurses, not account specialists. They want to provide needed care to their patients without worrying about whether the patient will have to pay out of pocket.

It is argued that with a singe-payer system for healthcare there would be long waiting times to get an appointment. Isn't that how our system is today? Your doctors appointment may be four or six months away. Your follow-up appointment to address concerns at that appointment might be three or four months later. Our healthcare system is broken now. We can make it better by freeing up the doctors time to provide comprehensive care, not worrying about how to fill out the reimburement forms and what treatment will be covered.

There are many reasons to support a Medicare-forAll single-payer program in America. If you, or someone you love, doesn't need medical care today, you may tomorrow. Wouldn't it be a relief to know that if you get sick, or lose your job, your whole world won't fall apart? That you won't lose the security of everything you have labored for for the last many years because you get sick? Speak up and speak out for Medicare-for-All Single-Payer Healthcare - You deserve it!

"We say to the private health insurance companies: whether you like it or not, the United States will join every other major country on earth and guarantee healthcare to all people as a right. All Americans are entitled to go to the doctor when they're sick and not go bankrupt after staying in the hospital." Senator Bernie Sanders

Support for the highlighted organization is unsolicited and Goods for the Planet is not affiliated with any of the organizations, or causes, it supports