Single Payer New York Events Calendar

Speakers: Bekah Mandell & Mary Gerisch . Vermont Workers' Center
Tuesday Feb. 22nd – Ithaca College – 4:00-5:15 Textor Hall – Rm 102
Tuesday Feb 22nd – Ithaca College – 7 pm – Williams Hall - Rm 323
Wednesday Feb. 23rd – First Unitarian Church - 7:00 pm<

Join us to hear about their campaign and support their movement. Victory in Vermont will set the stage for winning universal healthcare across the country!

Vermont is on the cusp of winning universal healthcare . They need our help to overcome an onslaught of industry money. They have entered the final stage in their fight to make the human right to healthcare a reality in Vermont. Everything is in place for a progressive policy victory that will improve the lives of hundreds of thousands Vermonters, demonstrate the relevance of progressive social movements, and kick off a nation-wide shift toward single payer healthcare, spreading to other states and hopefully the country.

The Vermont Workers' Center has had a two year grassroots campaign of holding hearings, gathering health care stories, meeting with legislators and community members and passing a law which commits the state of Vermont to implement a new healthcare system based on the human rights principles of universality, equity, accountability, transparency and participation.

Accomplishments include:

passing legislation to design a plan for the state – May 2019
hiring Dr. Wm Hsiao and his firm appointed by the Vt. State Legislature to design 3 options of plans-Dr. Hsiao is the designer of Taiwan's successful Single Payer plan as well as a number of other plans for countries using various models. June or July (perhaps you can check for sure with Mary
electing Peter Shulmin as Governor – he ran on a Single payer platform-won the Democratic Primary Aug 24th and was elected Governor Nov. 2nd.
Senators Sanders and Leahy and Rep. Welch will introduce the "State Leadership in Healhtcare Act " which would move up the date from 2017 to 2014 when "state innovation" is allowed under the Affordable Care Act – and thus allow Vermont to move forward with a single payer system. Held press conference to announce this Jan. 18th.
Governor Shulmin announced his health care bill – Feb. 8, 2011
a draft plan with 3 options has been presented and is being critiqued and suggestions are going to Dr. Hsiao – a final plan will be presented Feb. 17th.to the Vt. State Legislature. -Draft presented Jan 19th followed by a 3 week period of feedback – final draft presented to legislature Feb. 17th

Medicare’s 45th Anniversary Celebration in Rochester

Single Payer Activists Celebrate Medicare’s 45th And Urge Legislators to “Go All The Way” With Expanded and Improved Medicare for All

What: Single payer activists will rally at the Federal Bldg to celebrate the 45th birthday of Medicare and advocate for its expansion. Federal legislators Slaughter, Schumer, and Gillibrand will be asked to sign pledges to protect Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security from program cuts and privatization, and to pursue a nonprofit health care system that would save hundreds of billions of dollars a year and guarantee health care security to all. Healthcare-Now! a national single payer organization, is sponsoring similar rallies across the country and has authored the pledge. The rally will feature a birthday cake for Medicare.

Where: Federal Building Plaza, 100 State St, Rochester, NY

When: Friday, July 30, noon-1:00 pm

Who: Local and state wide single payer coalition members of Rochester for HR 676 and Single Payer New York will participate in the rally. Member organizations include the Interfaith Health Care Coalition, Finger Lakes Physicians for a National Health Program, Progressive Democrats of America Genesee Valley, and Metro Justice.

Why: As Medicare turns 45, too many Americans are unemployed, and even those with jobs are struggling to feed, shelter and provide health care for their families in the current economy. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the health reform legislation passed in March will leave 23 million uninsured when fully implemented. Yet the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, or the Deficit Commission, is considering cuts to crucial safety net programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security that millions depend on. Our federal legislators must also decide whether to extend tax cuts to the nation’s wealthiest, and have continued to provide funding for two wars. Expanded and Improved Medicare for All (HR 676), however, which would save over $400 billion a year, is not on the table, mostly due to insurance and pharmaceutical industry opposition in the form of billions of dollars in lobbying.

Medicare’s 45th Anniversary Rally in Ithaca

Friday, July 30th
DeWitt Park, Ithaca, NY
Noon - 1:30 pm

Join Us As We Celebrate the 45th Anniversary of the Historic Passage of Medicare

Help us tell our members of Congress to Expand and Protect Our Medicare and Medicaid AND Save Our Social Security! President Obama has established a Deficit Commission with members who have an overwhelming history of support for both benefit cuts and privatization of Social Security. We need to send a clear message that, especially when unemployment and financial insecurity are at record highs we need to strengthen these programs not cut them.

We would like you to share your story of how Medicare, Medicaid or Social Security has impacted your life or the lives of a loved one. Please come and share your story with us on Friday July 30th or send it to me. Join us so we can send a strong message that we need to protect, improve and expand Medicare to ALL.For more information or to speak contact Rebecca Elgie, healthylink@earthlink.net 272-0621

Sponsored by Single Payer New York, Co-sponsors Religious Taskforce for a Living Wage, UU Social Justice Committee. League of Women Voters - TC

Rochester Regional Conference

Saturday, June 12, 2010
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
University of Rochester
Goergen Hall
Sloan Auditorium

HEALTHCARE REFORM: WE CAN DO BETTER

Where Do We Go From Here?

Join with activists and supporters from across Western New York to learn more about the state of health care reform and to develop strategies to strengthen the grassroots movement for Expanded and Improved Medicare for All.

Speakers

Donna Smith, Community Organizer/Legislative Advocate, National Nurses United/California Nurses Association, National Nurses Organizing Committee

Katie Robbins, National Organizer, Healthcare-NOW!

Panelists

Dr. Emily Queenan, Finger Lakes Physicians for a National Health Program

Benjamin Day, Director, Mass-Care

Mark Dunlea, Executive Director, Hunger Action Network

Mel Callan, R.N.

Barbara Lifton, Assemblywoman, 125th A.D.

WORKSHOPS / STRATEGY SESSIONS

Pre-Registration: http://tinyurl.com/c859jk

Questions: Contact Betsy Frarey at 585.473.8724 or lfrarey@rochester.rr.com

$10 contribution requested to cover cost of lunch.

Endorsed By: The Interfaith Health Care Coalition of the Greater Rochester Community of Churches, Finger Lakes Physicians for a National Health Program, Progressive Democrats of Genesee Valley, Metro Justice, National Organization for Women, Tompkins County Health Care Task Force, Interfaith Alliance of Rochester

Download Flyer [pdf]

Weekly Events

The Coalition of Concerned Citizens of New Paltz

Weekly Single Payer Advocacy Strategy Meetings
Every Wednesday, 5 pm to 7 pm
Email Lin Sakai for venue: lin.sakai@lidesign.net

Weekly "Honk-a-Thon" Single Payer Not-So-Silent Vigil
Every Saturday, 11 am to 12:30 pm
In front of Stop & Shop Plaza
Main Street/Route 299
New Paltz, NY