This coming Wednesday June 3, 2009 the Take Back Our Union (TBOU) Movement will hold a Labor Round Table on "Rising Health Care Costs and the Privatization of Emblem Health "
WHEN : Wednesday June 3,2009 from 4:00 P.M. to 7: 00 P.M.
WHERE : North Star Fund 520 8th avenue 22nd floor (between 36 and 37street)
To Register for this or other Take Back Our Union workshops and seminars call (212) 631-5857 (24 hr Automated Reservation System) or send email to :Events@TakeBackOurUnion.org
Confirmed Guest Speakers : Judy S Gonzalez Single Payer NY
Ajamu K. Sankofa PHIMG Coalition
Billy Wharton Health Care Activist
Below is a press release on the work that health care activists led by Billy Wharton have been doing around the attempt to privatize Emblem Health.
NY State Department of Insurance Rejects Emblem Health Claim
***For Immediate Release*** NY State Department of Insurance Rejects Emblem Health Claim; Releases Documents to Activists Wednesday April 29, 2009 - On Tuesday April 28, 2009 Michelle Birnbaum, Legal Assistant to the General Counsel of NY State, notified activist Billy Wharton that the NY State Department of Insurance (DOI) would comply with his Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. Wharton requested that all documents related to the proposed conversion of Emblem Health (formerly GHI & HIP) to a for-profit corporation be made public.
Emblem Health attempted to counter this by claiming that their latest for-profit conversion application should be exempt from Freedom of Information Act laws. Emblem argued that their amended application contained trade secrets and proprietary information. The DOI rejected this claim and has transmitted the revised “draft” application to Mr. Wharton along with a full list of documents relating to the attempted for-profit conversion. “The release of these documents,” said Wharton,”should increase public debate over a healthcare privatization which could negatively impact more than 3 million New Yorkers.” There has been strong outcry from public health advocates about the proposed conversion since the application was filed by Emblem with the DOI in December 2007. Despite this, no impact analysis of the conversion has been conducted and only two public hearings have been organized by the DOI. Emblem claims that the conversion would provide it with the private capital needed to upgrade administration and increase their competitive advantage.
Activists see the for-profit conversation as a privatization attempt which would lead to higher premiums, denial of access to care and the possible elimination of coverage for less–profitable Medicaid recipients. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg also objected to the merger and conversion of the companies by citing violations of anti-trust laws. Faced with widespread opposition from all sectors of the healthcare rights community, Emblem withdrew its application for conversion in early 2008. A new “draft” proposal was filed the DOI on July 24, 2008. Since Emblem did not formally file an application, the document seemed to be exempt from Freedom of Information Laws. Activists expect the “draft” application to contain Emblem’s attempt to respond to public criticisms of the proposed conversion. Emblem has yet to file another official application with the DOI.
For Copies of the documents or interviews contact Billy Wharton, (718) 869-2279 or email
wawharton@yahoo.com you can also visit www.takebackourunion.org for more information and upcoming events.
Showing posts with label Healthcare. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Healthcare. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Monday, May 18, 2009
TBOU ACTION UPDATE : Single Payer Healthcare Rally Wednesday May27 and TBOU Healthcare Roundtable on Wednesday June 3 in NYC
Single Payer Healthcare Advocates to Rally at State Capitol on May 27th
Politicians Need to Protect the People, Not Health Insurance Companies
Supporters of a single payer Medicare for All universal health care program will rally at the State Capitol on Wednesday May 27th at noon.
Representatives of groups supporting single payer will also meet with individual state legislators throughout the day and have requested a meeting with Governor Paterson.
The groups want New York State to pass legislation to create its own single payer universal health care system. The California state legislature has twice voted to create a single payer system but it has been vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger. Governor Paterson, in contrast, has been a long time supporter of single payer health care. The long-delayed state study by the Urban Institute on what type of universal health system New York should adopt is due out in the next few months.
The single payer groups are also supporting the resolution introduced by Senator Neil Breslin to have the State Senate urge Congress to pass HR 676 (Conyors – D MI), the federal single payer bill. HR 676 is currently co-sponsored by more than 70 Representatives, including many from New York.
Single payer supporters are also upset that the U.S. Senate Finance Committee and the White House have so far refused to consider a single payer health care system while instead insisting that private for-profit health insurance must continue to play a role in any universal health care system. Thirteen single payer advocates have been arrested in recent weeks for protesting the exclusion of single payer supporters at the Senate Finance Committee hearings on universal health care.
It is estimated that as much as 35 cents of every health care dollar goes to pay for the administration of private health insurance that provides nothing of value to the health care system. The practices of insurance companies contribute to the deaths of tens of thousands of Americans annually. Eliminating private health insurance through a single payer system could save $350 to $400 billion annually.
Even though the US spends almost twice as much money per capita on health care compared to other industrial countries, the performance of the American health care system consistently ranks among the worse of the industrial countries (e.g., 37th by the World Health Organization), while leaving as many as 75 million Americans without insurance during part of any year.
Sponsors of the event include Single Payer New York (http://www.singlepayernewyork.org/), Capital District Alliance for Universal Health Care, Capital District Area Labor Federation; Faith and Hunger Network; Hunger Action Network of NYS: New York State Nurses Association; Physicians for a National Health Program; Students for a National Health Program; Tompkins County Health Care Task Force; and Troy Area Labor Council.
On Wednesday June 3, 2009 the Take Back Our Union (TBOU) will sponsor a Labor Round Table on Healthcare in NYC at the North Star Fund located at 52o 8th avenue 22nd floor mid-town Manhattan (between 36 and 37street) from 4-7PM.Topics for Labor Round table-How do we stop the privatization of Emblem Health (formerly GHI/HIP) and how do we get more rank and file labor activist involved in the single payer movement? To stay updated on healthcare and all labor news visit the blog at : http://www.takebackourunion.org/
Politicians Need to Protect the People, Not Health Insurance Companies
Supporters of a single payer Medicare for All universal health care program will rally at the State Capitol on Wednesday May 27th at noon.
Representatives of groups supporting single payer will also meet with individual state legislators throughout the day and have requested a meeting with Governor Paterson.
The groups want New York State to pass legislation to create its own single payer universal health care system. The California state legislature has twice voted to create a single payer system but it has been vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger. Governor Paterson, in contrast, has been a long time supporter of single payer health care. The long-delayed state study by the Urban Institute on what type of universal health system New York should adopt is due out in the next few months.
The single payer groups are also supporting the resolution introduced by Senator Neil Breslin to have the State Senate urge Congress to pass HR 676 (Conyors – D MI), the federal single payer bill. HR 676 is currently co-sponsored by more than 70 Representatives, including many from New York.
Single payer supporters are also upset that the U.S. Senate Finance Committee and the White House have so far refused to consider a single payer health care system while instead insisting that private for-profit health insurance must continue to play a role in any universal health care system. Thirteen single payer advocates have been arrested in recent weeks for protesting the exclusion of single payer supporters at the Senate Finance Committee hearings on universal health care.
It is estimated that as much as 35 cents of every health care dollar goes to pay for the administration of private health insurance that provides nothing of value to the health care system. The practices of insurance companies contribute to the deaths of tens of thousands of Americans annually. Eliminating private health insurance through a single payer system could save $350 to $400 billion annually.
Even though the US spends almost twice as much money per capita on health care compared to other industrial countries, the performance of the American health care system consistently ranks among the worse of the industrial countries (e.g., 37th by the World Health Organization), while leaving as many as 75 million Americans without insurance during part of any year.
Sponsors of the event include Single Payer New York (http://www.singlepayernewyork.org/), Capital District Alliance for Universal Health Care, Capital District Area Labor Federation; Faith and Hunger Network; Hunger Action Network of NYS: New York State Nurses Association; Physicians for a National Health Program; Students for a National Health Program; Tompkins County Health Care Task Force; and Troy Area Labor Council.
On Wednesday June 3, 2009 the Take Back Our Union (TBOU) will sponsor a Labor Round Table on Healthcare in NYC at the North Star Fund located at 52o 8th avenue 22nd floor mid-town Manhattan (between 36 and 37street) from 4-7PM.Topics for Labor Round table-How do we stop the privatization of Emblem Health (formerly GHI/HIP) and how do we get more rank and file labor activist involved in the single payer movement? To stay updated on healthcare and all labor news visit the blog at : http://www.takebackourunion.org/
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Thursday May 7th forum on National Health Care Reform
Take Back Our Union (TBOU) supports and endorses tomorrow's health care forum as
LEO GERARD SPEAKS ON NATIONAL HEALTH CARE REFORM – Thursday, May 7, 2009, 5:30-8pm at SEIU Local 32BJ Auditorium, 101 Avenue of the Americas.
Leo Gerard, International President, United Steel Workers of America and Co-Chair of the AFL-CIO Health Care Policy Committee, will be in NYC on Thursday, May 7, 2009 to speak on labor’s stake in the current fight for health care reform. The event will take place from 5:30-8pm at SEIU Local 32 BJ Auditorium (101 Avenue of the Americas, one block north of Canal). Subway: A, C, E, 1, 2, or 3 to Canal. for more information and to stay informed visit www.tbou.org
LEO GERARD SPEAKS ON NATIONAL HEALTH CARE REFORM – Thursday, May 7, 2009, 5:30-8pm at SEIU Local 32BJ Auditorium, 101 Avenue of the Americas.
Leo Gerard, International President, United Steel Workers of America and Co-Chair of the AFL-CIO Health Care Policy Committee, will be in NYC on Thursday, May 7, 2009 to speak on labor’s stake in the current fight for health care reform. The event will take place from 5:30-8pm at SEIU Local 32 BJ Auditorium (101 Avenue of the Americas, one block north of Canal). Subway: A, C, E, 1, 2, or 3 to Canal. for more information and to stay informed visit www.tbou.org
Saturday, May 10, 2008
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