Members of Physicians for a National Health Program participated in the Citizens Health Care Working group sessions held around the country. The New York Metro Chapter of PNHP submitted a response to the published recommendations entitled "The Citizens Health Care Working Group Listened To The American Public With One Ear," by Len Rodberg, Ph.D., which criticized the "interim recommendations" of the group for distorting the views of the attendees. The principal recommendation of the Working Group is "It should be public policy that all Americans have affordable health care." This followed from the central message that it heard in these meetings, which it described as follows: "Across every venue we explored, we heard a common message: Americans should have a health care system where everyone participates, regardless of their financial resources or health status, with benefits that are sufficiently comprehensive to provide access to appropriate, high-quality care without endangering individual or family financial security" However, in their subsequent elaboration, the Working Group seems to ignore, in very important respects, the clearly expressed views of those attending.
To read the PNHP-NY Metro report, please go to
http://www.pnhpnyc.org/ To submit your own comments to the CHCWG, go to
http://www.citizenshealthcare.gov/ . The deadline is August 31.
---Joanne Landy, Executive Director, PNHP-NY Metro
At 05:37 PM 8/9/2006 -0400, you wrote:
>--- Change to Win <takeaction at changetowin.org> wrote:
>
>Date: Wed, 09 Aug 2006 21:04:07 GMT
>From: "Change to Win" <takeaction at changetowin.org>
>Subject: Stand up for universal health care
>
>We believe that the time has come for universal health care --
>and you can help make it a reality.
>
>The Citizens' Health Care Working Group was set up by Congress
>to find out how to fix our broken health care system. It is
>currently talking to average Americans around the country to
>find out how we feel about the state of health care today.
>
>This important group has developed a set of proposed solutions
>for the health care crisis, and they are seeking comments from
>the public on their recommendations. The comment period ends on
>August 31 -- and with it, our opportunity to ensure that the
>needs of working people are addressed when the recommendations
>are presented to Congress.
>
>You can help by submitting comments on the Working Group's
>recommendations. Follow this link to go to a Web page where you
>can read and comment on each recommendation:
>
> * http://www.citizenshealthcare.gov/speak_out/ircomment1.php
>
>There are six different recommendations on the online form that
>you can comment on. We believe the last two recommendations on
>this form are the most important ones to comment on. While they
>are not numbered online, they are Recommendation 5 (which has
>two parts) and Recommendation 6.
>
>We've prepared talking points for you to look over as you
>provide your comments on these two recommendations. You can
>download them (in Adobe PDF format) by following this link:
>
> * http://www.changetowin.org/pdf/CHCWGTalkingPoints.pdf
>
>If you would like more information, including an analysis and
>critique of the Working Group's recommendations, you can go
>here:
>
> * http://www.uhcan.org/campaign/files/resources/analysis.doc
>
>Working people's voices need to be heard in this debate. The
>health of our families depends on it. Help us make a better
>future by standing up for universal health care today!
>
>Thanks for all your support,
>
>Anna Burger
>Chair, Change to Win
>
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>
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>
>
>http://changetowinaction.org/join-forward.html?
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>
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>
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