FFHS - What's New?

As of September 30, 2003 the headquarters of FFHS has moved to 7149 Lorenzo Lane, Delray Beach, Fl 33446. In addition to new surroundings the campaign is in the midst of negotiating with a number of organizations that would achieve the breakthrough in people power and funding that we need to first achieve the required signatures, 50,000, to gain the Florida Supreme Court Review and then put us in position to reach the goal of putting our constitutional amendment on the Ballot in Florida for the election of November 2004.

Once more supporters who collected signatures at the polls this past November the 3^rd were rewarded with loads of interest and success. The Gainesville Women’s Liberation group found 500 willing voters republicans, democrats and independents alike excited to sign. Similar successes were achieved in Dade County and in Palm Beach County. The 2000 additional signed petitions still leaves us short of the necessary number to trigger the Florida Supreme Court review.

The message is clear. People are in greater need of real health care reform and will support our efforts once informed. We need to get our message out to more and more groups in every way possible. Share your ideas with us and we will broaden your outreach thru the web. Tell all your contacts about our web site. When you write a Letter to the Editor include our web site address, www.ffhs.org. Insert the information in your group’s newsletters etc.

Finally, our financial coffers were almost bare when we were saved again by a few individuals and our very good friends and benefactors at the Jewish Cultural Center, Inc., on Miami Beach who this time donated $700.00. Spread the word that all and any fund raising ideas are appreciated and even more so we accept money. Contributors can make their checks payable to Floridians For Health Security and send to 10340 S.W. 121 St., Miami, Fl 33176.

AMERICANS WITHOUT HEALTH INSURANCE UP 10 MILLION IN 1990s
Nearly every state affected despite economic growth, study finds

Economic growth hasn't stopped the number of Americans without health insurance from climbing by 10 million people since 1989, to 43.4 million, according to a study in today's American Journal of Public Health.

"By the time Congress finishes with the impeachment debate, another half-million people will have lost their health insurance," according to Dr. David Himmelstein, an author of the study and Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard. "Unfortunately, none of them will be members of Congress."

The study, the first comprehensive look at insurance trends in the 1990's, found that the number of uninsured is rising at a rate of over 100,000 people losing coverage every month, despite the nation's strong economic growth -- including more than a 25% increase in the Gross National Product and a doubling of the Dow Jones industrial average since 1989.

One in six Americans (16%) is now uninsured, up from one in seven (13.6%) at the start of the decade.

"Not having health insurance is a major catastrophe for patients -- medically, financially, and emotionally," said Dr. Quentin Young, National Coordinator of Physicians for a National Health Program and an internist in Chicago. "It's a silent, devastating epidemic sweeping across the nation."

Among those most affected by the loss of insurance are young adults aged 18-39, blacks, and hispanics. From 1989 to 1993 the majority of the increase was among low-income families, but since 1994 middle-income families have been increasingly affected as well.

In several southern and western states (Texas, Arkansas, New Mexico, Arizona), nearly one in every four persons is uninsured. However, northeastern states (New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Maine) had the largest increases in the percentage of their residents without coverage since 1989.

"Incremental reforms have had no impact on the rising number of uninsured," noted Dr. Olveen Carasquillo, co-author of the study and an internist at New York's Columbia Presbyterian Hospital.

"Two states which have been held up as models of reform -- Oregon and Hawaii -- both have experienced increases. The Kennedy-Kassebaum Insurance Portability Act has helped few people between jobs keep their insurance, and the Children's Health Insurance Plan is not and will not stem the rising tide of uninsurance among children." The number of uninsured children increased from 8.5 million in 1989 to 10.7 million in 1997.

"The tragedy is that this a preventable epidemic. Every other industrialized country, from Denmark to Japan, Canada to Australia, Norway to Germany, England to Taiwan, has a national system of universal coverage," said Dr. Young.

"They aren't perfect, and you may have to wait a few weeks for an MRI, but almost uniformly you can choose your physicians, receive excellent primary and specialty care at the same or higher quality as in the U.S., and the health outcomes are better. It's time for the U.S. to adopt a national health program once and for all."

The study analyzed Census Bureau data from 1989 to 1996. An additional year of data was analyzed by the authors after the article went to press, and is available from PNHP.

####

Copies of "Going Bare: Trends in Health Insurance Coverage, 1989-1996" by Carasquillo, Himmelstein, Woolhandler, and Bor, American Journal of Public Health, with an additional year of data (1997) and state by state figures are available at (312) 554-0382.

Physicians for a National Health Program is an organization of over 8,000 physicians who support universal access to health care. PNHP was founded in 1987.

Dr. Quentin Young is an internist in Chicago and National Coordinator of Physicians for a National Health Program. Dr. Young is also the Past President of the American Public Health Association.

Dr. Olveen Carrasquillo is Assistant Professor at Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons. He practices internal medicine at New York Presbyterian Hospital (212) 305-9782.

Dr. David Himmelstein is Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and co-founder of PNHP. He is an internist.

Dr. Quentin Young is an internist in Chicago and the National Coordinator of Physicians for a National Health Program. Dr. Young is also the Past President of the American Public Health Association.

=============(article from the Philadelphia Inquirer)==================

More Americans lack medical insurance, health researchers say

Despite growth in the nation's economy, the numbers have risen steadily since
1989, according to the study.

By Stacey Burling
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

The proportion of people without health insurance in the United States has grown steadily since 1989, even as the nation's economy has boomed. That trend is proof that the private sector is not going to solve this problem, said David Himmelstein, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and one of the authors of a study on the uninsured published this week in the American Journal of Public Health.

Himmelstein, cofounder of Physicians for a National Health Program, said many of the jobs created in the last decade did not provide workers with health insurance. The study suggests that rising insurance prices and the trend toward employees paying a bigger share may also have been factors. In
addition, state and federal programs have begun cutting back on social programs. Himmelstein contends that piecemeal insurance reforms, such as allowing workers to keep their insurance when they lose a job, will not improve overall health coverage. The only answer, he said, is to do what most
other industrialized nations have done: Provide national health insurance. "It's the only way this problem has ever been solved," he said.

The study found that one in six Americans -- 16.1 percent -- had no insurance in 1997, more than the one in seven in 1989. Those most likely to be uninsured are young adults and minorities. Between 1989 and 1993, most of the increase occurred in low-income families, but in more recent years, middle-income families were most affected. During the time period in the study, the percentage of people without insurance in Pennsylvania remained relatively low and stable. It rose from 9 percent in 1989 to 10.1 percent in 1997. New Jersey's rate, however, grew substantially, from 10.3 to 16.6 percent. The rate fell about two percentage points in Delaware, to 13.1 percent.

In general, higher rates of uninsured people were found in Southern and Western states. Nearly a quarter of the people in Arkansas, Texas and Arizona lacked insurance in 1997. The largest increases, however, were in Northeastern states such as New Jersey and New York. Men are slightly more likely than women to go without insurance. Rates vary significantly by race: 11.5 percent of whites are uninsured, compared with 21.6 percent of blacks and 33.6 percent of Hispanics.

Himmelstein said minorities were less likely to have insurance because they were less likely to have jobs that provide it.

"These are people at the bottom end of the occupational job ladder," he said.

Š1998 Philadelphia Newspapers Inc.

FROMA HARROP: Health care in civilized Canada

9.29.98 06:43:55
Health care in civilized Canada
OTTAWA

It was a mark of the media’s commitment to serve the public. They actually found space on their scandal-ridden front pages and newscasts to mention that a record number of Americans have no health insurance. At the time, many American editorialists were gathered at a convention here in Ottawa, the Canadian capital. Sitting in the land of health-care security, they read that the number of uninsured Americans rose sharply last year, to 16 percent of the total population.

One way that Canada distinguishes itself from the behemoth to the south is through its dedication to a government-run single-payer health plan. The government sets the fees paid to doctors and hospitals, and it writes the checks. The closest thing to the Canadian system in the United States is Medicare, the insurance program for the elderly.

The Canadian health-care program undeniably faces serious challenges. There are waits for certain kinds of car, and it is difficult to get access to some technology, such as MRI machines. But while Canadian politicians may argue noisily about what should be done about the national health-care system, no one seeking re-election would argue that there shouldn’t be one.

Last Wednesday evening, Jean Chretien, the Canadian prime minister and Liberal Party leader, shared a number of his opinions about the United States with the National Conference of Editorial Writers. He criticized the Starr investigations as an unfortunate distraction for the President. But he seemed more shocked by America’s growing legion of the medically uninsured. He cited horror stories of families losing their homes because they couldn’t afford expensive medical care. Canadians would find that situation to be unthinkable.

The next morning, Preston Manning, leader of the opposing Reform Party, expressed a desire to dramatically "reform" Canada’s health-care system. But he did not look south for inspiration. There must be national standards, he said. And everyone in Canada must be covered. "We don’t want to surrender those two points." Manning was reaffirming support for the basics of a national health-care system, a Square One that Americans haven’t been able to get to.

That’s not to say that Canadian-style health-care plan is the best model for reaching universal coverage in the United States. Being more hospitable to market forces, Americans might not want a system in which the government is the only check writer. They might prefer a multi-payer model, where the government provides a basic coverage but individuals may buy private insurance for fancier features. This is the setup in Germany and France.

Some criticisms of the Canadian system are out of line. Michael Decter, a Canadian health-care consultant, said it is a U.S. myth that "this is some large monolithic Soviet-style system." The government pays the bills but does not get involved in the decisions of doctors. Canadian doctors are private practitioners working on an old-fashioned fee-for-service basis. Indeed, Canadians have far more choice of provider that do their American neighbors enrolled in HMOs.

It is also not true that Canadians are rushing over the U.S. border to obtain an alleged superior standard of health care. Canadians do spend a billion dollars a year on health care in the United States. And some Canadians do go ver the border to get quick access to a MRI machine. But the great majority of their medical spending in the United States reflects the annual migration of Canadians to Florida, south Texas and other warm spots in the winter. When Canadians have a heart attack in Fort Lauderdale, they spend health-care dollars in a Florida hospital. And since many of the Canadian snowbirds are elderly, they use a lot of medical care.

Should our national conversation ever get back to such issues as health coverage, it would be helpful to observe what the Canadian system gets right. Americans spend 14.3 percent of their gross domestic product on health services. Canadians spend 9.5 percent. Twenty-five years ago, the countries devote that same percentage of gross domestic product to health care. And while Canadians spend far less for medical care, they cover everyone.

When Canadians read that the number of Americans without health insurance jumped to 43 million in the middle of a boom economy, they develop new patience for the flaws in their own system. Apparently, there are several ways to define "scandal."

Froma Harrop is a Journal editorial writer and columnist. She may be reached by e-mail at: froma_harrop@projo.com.

Single-payer health care proposal
worth pursuing as amendment
By IRVING VINGER
(This article appeared in the Sun-Sentinel 11/20/95)

Do you remember when doctors made house calls? Do you remember when you spent more time with your physician taking care of what ailed you than with his or her office staff taking care of paperwork? Do you remember worrying more about getting better than how you were going to pay for being ill? A constitutional amendment petition drive for single-payer health care has been kicked off to restore high-quality health care for all Floridians.

This Florida constitutional amendment petition drive is being organized by Floridians for Health Security, a political committee comprised of seniors, consumers, homeowners, professionals and others.

Our goal is to have the people of Florida choose how to organize their health care system.

With the signatures of 429,000 registered voters and the approval of the amendment language by the Florida Supreme Court, the people of Florida will be able to vote for or against single-payer health care at the general election. The ballot summary asks: Should all persons in Florida have the right to comprehensive health-care services from the health-care providers of their choice in a Single-Payer Health-Care System?

We believe that Floridians want to restore health to their healthcare system and be able to get care based on their needs. They want full choice. They want fair competition between health-care providers based on quality of services. They want to rein in escalating health-care costs. In the past few years, many plans have been proposed to address segments of our health-care mess. Single-payer health care is the sonly solution that addresses the three Cs: choice, competition and costs.

The "single payer" is defined as an entity prescribed by the Legislature as the sole administrator, sole collector and the sole payer of funds for the administration and provision of comprehensive health-care services to the people of Florida. The entity could be a private for-profit or not-for-profit company, which would subcontract with the state to perform a single payer. It could also be a public agency.

Private or public funds to run the program will be limited to 1 cent of every health dollar, yielding savings at the outset of at least 10 percent in administrative costs, compared to our existing system – a saving of $4 billion.

The dollar saving is extremely significant, but even more important is the resultant reduction in both private and public bureaucratic intervention in clinical decision-making. There will be no more denials of care for pre-existing conditions, no more paperwork to determine eligibility, no more arbitrary early discharges from hospitals and no more arbitrary decisions by faceless private and public bureaucrats made about your health care. Only you and the health-care provider of you choice will make the decisions. What a novel idea.

Since November 1989, a coalition of individuals and organizations known as The Florida Health Care Campaign has worked through the legislative process to pass a bill to implement The Florida Universal Health Access Plan. This bill was first filed by Rep. Elaine Gordon of North Miami Beach and Sen. Eleanor Weinstock of West Palm Beach. In 1992, as HB1 and SB92, it had majority support from both Republicans and Democrats, passed with strong majorities in all the substantive committees, and yet was never allowed to come up for a vote by either the full House or Senate.

Health-care reform through the legislatures since, at state and federal levels, has been an abject failure. Our elected representatives seem unable to act on our behalf for whatever reasons. The constitutional amendment process was established for exactly this purpose. When the elected body is unable to represent the people, the people can act legally on their own initiative.

However, no one should consider changing our Constitution lightly or frivolously. Amending the Florida Bill of Rights, Article 1 of the Florida Constitution, as is being proposed, should be undertaken by the people because they have a strong belief that access to heath care is a right.

Should health care continue to be a commodity that is totally dependent on each person’s ability to pay? Is health care like a pair of shoes or a car or a ticket to a sporting event or the theater? Should we sacrifice all but the rich because the others can’t pay for a coronary bypass or kidney dialysis? No. Access to health care is a right that all people should have.

To place this amendment on the ballot, we Floridians for Health Security need your committed support to sign petitions, to gather signatures, to educate others, to get out the vote, to raise funds, to write articles and letters to the editor, and to carry our message to all the people.

This is not an easy task. There are certain groups that benefit from the status quo. "Corporate America," led by large health-insurance companies, is buying our hospitals and our physicians and even now has an undue influence on the health care of each of us. It will oppose this initiative with heavily financed media campaigns, which it is free to do.

This, however, is the opportunity for the people to prevail and to have the health care that we deserve, that we want, and that we choose. Please call.