Mid-Valley Health Care Advocates works to establish a publicly funded, equitable, affordable health care system for all people in Oregon (and eventually all across the U.S.). An affiliate member of Health Care for All - Oregon, MVHCA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Based in Corvallis, MVHCA currently includes more than 2000 advocates in the mid-valley.
What we need to know about Measure 101
by Tom Sincic, HCAO President
We all have the opportunity to vote YES on Measure 101 this January. Here are four things you need to know today about Measure 101!
- HCAO has joined over 100 groups in endorsing Measure 101. This coalition includes doctors, nurses, health care advocates, hospitals and local businesses, and everyday people like YOU!
- 1 million Oregonians (that’s one in four Oregonians!) depend on the Oregon Health Plan. Measure 101 guarantees that our friends and neighbors who rely on OHP won’t lose their coverage.
- 400,000 Oregon children rely on the Oregon Health Plan to grow up healthy. With Measure 101, families don’t have to worry that their children could lose their coverage.
- Measure 101 stabilizes insurance marketplaces and premiums. It will save middle-class families who buy their own insurance an average of $300 a month in insurance premiums!
You and I both know how much health care matters. This is why as we join together to say Yes to Measure 101, HCAO will be in a much better position to take the next steps in getting Single Payer passed in Oregon.
I hope, as an HCAO supporter, you will remember to cast your vote as YES on Measure 101 for health care this January. Every Oregonian deserves health care, no matter who they are or where they work,
If you have not already, please take a second to follow both HCAO and YesforHealthcare on Facebook so you can keep up-to-date with the fight for accessible care. Learn more about Measure 101 here.
"Why Oregonians Want a Better Health Care System," a 2-page handout, is now available on the resource page.
Thank you to all who attended the Legislative Review, October 5, 2017
pICTURED ABOVE: sENATOR sARA gELSER ANSWERS A QUESTION. SEATED ARE rEPRESENTATIVE dAN RAYFIELD (DISTRICT 16), CENTER, WITH HIS SON; REPRESENTATIVE MIKE NEARMAN (DISTRICT 23) IS AT RIGHT.
Your voices matter to our legislators. Thank you to the dozens of you who attended, asked questions, and listened to our elected officials.
Understanding the new Senate Medicare for All bill
The American public is increasingly asking for a better health care system, with everyone in and no one out. On September 13, 17 Democratic Senators released the Medicare-For-All Act of 2017, intended to transition the American health care system to a single-payer system. In addition to the bill text, Senator Sanders released an executive summary, title summary, and white paper on financing options. Click here for the full story on the Health Affairs blog, or any of the highlighted words above for details.
The Nation reports on Medicare for all
Take a look at this September 20 article in The Nation, outlining not only the proposed Senate bill and its growing support, but the long history of attempting to pass legislation that will bring healthcare to all Americans. More here.
Is there really such a thing as a "free-rider" when it comes to health care? Should everyone be covered? If so, why?
WHY? It's the right thing to do for him, and it's the right thing to do for you.
The truth about the "free rider"
Think about everything you have to lose if people like him don’t have access to healthcare. You lose If they have a contagious disease and you or your family member acquires their illness. You lose If they don't get their mental illness or addiction treated and they can't complete their education or hold a job. They end up depending on your taxes, charity, or resorting to burglary. When their neglected illness reaches crisis level they come to the ER for very expensive treatment. They usually can't pay for it and the hospital has to pass the costs of on to you when you pay your next hospital bill."
Note to readers--The Oregon Legislative page on this website is now updated.
The RAND Report Simplified--what does it mean?
The RAND researchers found that Medicare for all, aka single-payer, would cost about the same as what we in Oregon currently pay, But gone would be most premiums, co-pays, and deductibles. All income groups except those earning above 400% of poverty level would have lower healthcare costs than with any other option. To read a simple summary on this website, go to the Legislation/Oregon page and scroll to the end.
Can we Fix it--our broken healthcare system? YES!
Add this URL to your must-watch list: Fix It, and then browse the site for all the information that is out there to help you to understand and explain the need for, and feasibility of, health care for everyone in Oregon. You can also watch the Fix It and Big Pharma movies online. Richard Master has done a masterful (pun intended) job of explaining the issues from a CEO's viewpoint of how rising health costs impact his bottom line. Check out the "by the numbers" link for a slideshow of--yep--the numbers, and browse through the FAQs to find more answers to your questions.
Single-Payer Activists Come to Salem, Tout Universal Care Study
--Chris Gray, the Lund Report, April 21, 2017 (excerpted)
The state’s single-payer activists made their annual descent on Salem in April, championing their perennial legislation to implement publicly financed, privately delivered healthcare -- this time accompanied by new research from the Rand Corporation, showing that the state could give everyone better care for the same amount of money currently spent in Oregon.
“The question is not whether we can afford the single-payer system but how can we afford the current system,” said Chunhuei Chi, an expert in healthcare financing and professor at Oregon State University’s College of Public Health and Human Sciences.
Oregon consumers, employers, along with the state and federal governments currently spend about $36.2 billion on healthcare in the Beaver State. According to Rand, the single-payer plan outlined in its study would roll up Medicare and the Oregon Health Plan as well as the uninsured and those with private insurance; it would save money by reducing administrative costs and would extract 10 percent lower rates from healthcare providers, especially hospitals.
“The state could always leave primary care rates where they are, or even increase them, while lowering rates for hospitals and other expenses,” said Chapin White, the lead researcher on the study from the Rand Corp. in Washington, D.C.
Sen. Michael Dembrow, D-Portland, this year introduced Senate Bill 1046, which now has 34 Democratic co-sponsors and implements single-payer healthcare in Oregon. The bill was heard alongside the presentation of the Rand study on Thursday, but since it was scheduled after the filing deadline for new legislation, it has no chance of passage.
In perhaps a show of even-handedness, the Rand study did anticipate one possible downside of single-payer: diminished access to care in the short-term. Rand predicted that providers would struggle to keep up with demand if the state’s remaining 200,000 uninsured people suddenly got access to healthcare, and the drastic reduction in costs to patients would simultaneously encourage people to seek more care.
“The good news is that it’s validated that either one of the universal health plans is better than the status quo. The status quo is deteriorating at the moment,” said Dr. Sam Metz, a member of the single-payer advocacy group Physicians for a National Health Program. But Metz said no other single-payer study assumed driving down rates to paid providers, and he complained that the study didn’t do enough to factor in a reduction in administrative waste, both on the insurance side and for medical providers.
One system Rand studied would charge a payroll tax on businesses with more than 20 employees as well as an additional income tax, while the other would enact a state sales tax. Both of those funding mechanisms would still be politically dicey to enact -- Oregon voters have rejected a sales tax multiple times and the state already has one of the highest income taxes in the country.
But consumers and employers would save $13.1 billion in insurance and out-of-pocket medical costs under single-payer, Rand found. Under a market-based system in which the state financed the system through taxes but allowed consumers multiple third-party insurance options, consumers and employers would save $7 billion a year.
All of the models based their coverage on the “Essential Health Benefits” package in the Affordable Care Act -- omitting adult dental care, optometric care and long-term care for seniors and people with disabilities.
The model offering multiple options was borne of an idea from business lobbyist John DiLorenzo, and that enabled the bill funding the study at times to attract multiple Republican backers, including Sen. Jeff Kruse, R-Roseburg. DiLorenzo backs universal healthcare because it relieves business from the burden of managing health benefits.
Reach Chris Gray at chris@thelundreport.org.
Apr 21 2017
Five GOP Health Care Buzz Phrases You Need to Inoculate Yourself Against
Adapted from Julie Chinitz
Stop the Attack on Medicare
A petition is circulating to stop the action to privatize Medicare. Medicare is a fundamental tool of Americans' economic security – a guarantee that seniors will not be denied health care just because they can’t afford it. The fight over the future of Medicare could come to a head as soon as the next session of Congress starts in January.
Sign the petition: Stop the Republican attack on Medicare. Click on the text to access the petition.
RAND study released
MVHCA celebrates latest victory
MVHCA's primary goal is an affordable, comprehensive, publicly-funded, high quality, universal health care system for all Oregonians.
Thank you, CORVALLIS!
Thanks to the 19,000+ people who voted "yes" on Corvallis ballot measure 2-95. It passed by a very substantial margin and tells our legislators that universal health care needs to be a priority in Oregon. We count ourselves as fortunate to live in a community that cares about the health of our citizens. This past Saturday, 100 representatives from throughout the state gathered in Corvallis for the semi-annual meeting of Health Care for All Oregon, a coalition of more than 125 organizations and individuals working to develop plans for publicly funded, comprehensive health coverage in our state.
The Corvallis vote, as well as a similar one passed in Ashland, will serve as a model for other communities as we move toward the vital goal of making health care for all a reality.
We’ve already heard thanks from one State Senator. These important votes of support in our cities will help this senator to persuade others in the legislature to move forward on health care that covers all in one huge risk pool of everyone in our state.
MVHCA celebrates 25 years of health care activism
Images from the MVHCA 25th anniversary party capture the spirit of the evening.
The ColoradoCareYes bill will appear appear on the Colorado ballot this November; if it passes, Colorado will provide health care for all the state's residents. The party raised $3,040 for ColoradoCareYes.
Photos by Don Hall.
MVHCA chooses new logo
Mid-Valley Health Care Advocates is pleased to announce our new logo. Designed to reflect our mission — that we support health care coverage for all — the image depicts an umbrella to represent coverage and a crowd of figures meant to represent all ages and walks of life, all contained within the Oregon outline.
The logo was created by the MVHCA Communications Committee and approved by the Board at its June 2016 meeting. The designer was Shelby Holteen, of Shelby Holteen Designs. Ms Holteen’s website is www.shelbyholteendesigns.weebly.com.
For an official version of the logo to use in any official promotional efforts on behalf of MVHCA, please contact the Communications Committee sandra.j.bean.or@gmail.com for the logo and usage guidelines.
Get Involved
We welcome your support and involvement on whatever level and in whatever way works for you! Attending the monthly meeting on the 4th Monday evening of each month is probably the best way to learn more about the organization and find out how you might want to participate.
There are lots of volunteer opportunities – helping with planning and arranging events, tabling at Farmers’ Markets and other public gatherings, hosting a front room conversation, writing a letter to the editor, etc.
MVHCA (Mid-Valley Health Care Advocates) and HCAO (Health Care for All Oregon) are 501(c)3 non-profit corporations and all donations are tax-deductible.
Thank you for wanting to support our efforts financially. We appreciate your donation in any amount and would especially encourage you to consider becoming a sustaining donor (setting up a monthly contribution) to provide stability for MVHCA’s work going forward.
What are those acronyms?
MVHCA – Mid-Valley Health Care Advocates
Local volunteer activist group; member of HCAO; non-profit status
HCAO – Health Care for All Oregon Statewide organization with more than 120 member groups
HCAO-Action – is a new 501(c4) and is designed for contributions to be used for lobbying
PNHP – Physicians for a National Health Program Nationwide organization with very active local chapter
MVHCA ADVOCATES MEET WITH sENATOR SARA GELSER ON APRIL 20 AT THE STATE CAPITOL IN SALEM.