Access to Affordable Health Care – An Imperative- The 21st Century’s Civil Rights Issue

Health Reform is ALIVE – Let us ensure it gets legs and that it walks through the House and the Senate. This is the civil rights issue of the 21st century. Access to affordable health care is an imperative.  People, this cannot fail. It must not fail.

Anyone who watched the “summit on health care” with the President and the Republican and Democratic leaders last week can have no doubt that the Republicans have no interest in meeting the needs of the millions of Americans who have no health care coverage, or access to affordable care.  It was a remarkable display of indifference and commitment to big pharmaceuticals and the private insurance companies.  Whether we are Democrats or Republicans we would have to be blind not to see what was happening. As an American citizen I was stunned at  John Boehner, Republican House Leader’s behavior.  He is truly frightening.

The president tried to get everyone in the room to focus on areas of agreement. Someone I once respected, Lamar Alexander, was incredibly obstructionist.  Many of the Republicans just flat out lied and did everything they could to undermine the President’s efforts at cooperation and bipartisanship.  The only obvious exceptions to the stone-walling and obstructionist behavior were Senator Thomas Coburn (a very conservative doctor from Oklahoma) and Representative Dave Camp, a lawyer from Michigan.  John Boehner has consistently been one of the most offensive, hostile and irresponsible representative in the House.  Eric Cantor is close behind.  Some of the Democrats are pretty spineless also.  This is why people like Bayh are leaving; they want to get work done, but Washington is in freeze mode.  There should be term limits.  Too many of our elected officials are serving the lobbyists rather than the people who elected them.  When they stay too long they get too powerful.

Finally, the President has gotten the message.  The Republicans have no intention of meeting the needs of the American people.  He has told the Democrats to get some spine and call a vote by the end of the month or soon.  This is where we – the people—come in. It is not too late to get Comprehensive Health Care Reform in America, and it is NOT TOO LATE for a Public Option.  We NEED to Mobilize!  Since the Republicans are not going to support any plan the President put forth anyway, we might as well go for broke and work for real comprehensive reform.

In 2007, the CEOs at the top seven for-profit, private insurance companies pocketed an average of $14.2 million each in total compensation (blog.aflcio.org)

 In the past few years insurance premiums have gone up 100 — 150 percent.  These costs are passed on to those who have such coverage and to their employers.  This is why many companies are cutting back on the benefits they offer. Insurance companies price their premiums much above what they expect inflation to be; this guarantees their investors a solid profit.  This is what the Republicans want to ensure.

 In an article written by Jason Shafrin, Ph.D., economist in the Healthcare Economist magazine we learn that William W. McGuire, CEO of UnitedHealth Group, received compensation of $124.8 million in 2005.  Managed Care Magazine also says that the average executive compensation (excluding unexercised stock options) for an executive of a ‘top 10 for profit health plan’ was $11.7 million and that was back in 2000.  The compensation for this one executive could pay the health care premium for 34,000 Americans.  Yet, most of these wealthy people pay no health care premiums at all.  Recently Anthem Blue Cross in California announced a 39 percent increase in health premiums on many customers; the increase is effective March 1; two weeks’ notice! They are raising premiums now to gauarantee their profits for a long time to come.  I am all for free markets, but this is straight  ripp off.

What justifies this increase?  GREED and POWER. They do it because they can.  What accounts for the extreme opposition to health care reform by the wealthy and powerful, and by the Republicans? It has nothing to do with these people caring about the average American; far from it. It has nothing to do with anyone losing coverage, or govt. being in our pockets; neither is it due to concern that the govt. is coming between patients and their doctors.  None of that is true.  These private insurance companies and for-profit health care groups simply want to maintain their enormous profit margins.  The Republicans simply want the President to fail. These people could care less about the average American.   UnitedHealth Group’s Profit Rises 30% UnitedHealth Group’s 4th-quarter profit climbs; commercial enrollment continues to stumble By TOM MURPHY AP Business Writer, INDIANAPOLIS January 21, 2010 (AP)

There are many groups –across the country– that are fighting for health care reform. Sadly, the mainstream media is not telling us about them; we hear a great deal about the Tea-Partiers and those who oppose health care.  We at OneWorld strongly encourage people to get involved and network with others who want reform; it is our only hope. 

Visit our web site www.oneworldpi.org the Health Literacy Section and get in touch with a state, community or national group.  Write an email or a letter to your congressional representative, or make phone calls.  Encourage family members and friends and church affiliates to participate.  This is the civil rights issue of the 21^st Century. Americans should not have to decide whether to have health care or a roof over their heads. The President and Congress can use Democrats only to pass a health care reform bill.  The Republicans did it when they wanted to pass the Bush tax cuts. They are now screaming about how unfair it will be to use reconcilliation, but it was fine when they used it on 14 of the 19 occassions it has been used since 1980.   Click the links below to get the fact on reconcilliation and the Republican and Democratic use of this process.  The hypocrisy is palpable.  Please get involved to relieved the suffering of hard-working Americans who have no access or limited access to affordable health care. 

FACTBOX-U.S. Democrats try to expedite healthcare bill | Reuters

Mar 4, 2010 … Reconciliation was used “for tax cuts for the rich twice under Bush.” … www.politifact.com/…/bush-tax-cuts-were-passed-reconciliations-50-votes/

Getting involved in The Battle for Health Care Reform – is a part of all our responsibility. America is a democracy; however, it only functions as such if we -the people- participate in how our government works. Democracy Requires Direct Action By The People.

Get involved in one of the most important issues of our time: Access to Affordable Health Care (especially in the United States) should be A Human Right. It Is A Moral Imperative. We should not buy into the false information being disseminated by the right.  Click onto the links below and learn for yourself information from the White House.

Democracy is supposed to be about –We the People. Are you involved, or are you one of those getting angry because you do not understand exactly what is happening? What efforts have you made to learn specifics about what Health Care Reform will mean for – we the people?

The President cannot do it all by himself. Too many Democrats are timid, some are spineless and too cuddling. Most Republicans want the President to fail. What do you want? And what are you doing about getting good information and striving for what you want America to be? We all have an important part to play in keeping America a real democracy.

The US Supreme Court just handed corporations a powerful weapon to be used against the average person. Wealthy corporations can now use their money and influence to control the political process by spending without restrictions on elections.  The pharmaceutical companies and big corporations want to control what happens with health care in America.  We the people need to exercise our power by letting our elected officials know that they work for us; we elected them.  We need to send a message to corporations that we are the consumers of their products; we have something to say and they need to listen.  We need to decide what it is that we want to say.

Learn some of the details about what health care reform could mean. Read some of the details about various aspects of the programs being proposed. BE INVOLVED in Democracy. Health reform is about a fundamental human right. How can we claim to be a world leader when more than 46 million Americans do not have access to affordable health care? Every decent, thoughtful American should be outraged! Stand up for this human right; this is a moral imperative. Others having access to care will not deprive you of good health care; it will not costs you more to have health care. Do not succumb to the fear tactics being used by the right wingers. Learn more:

Health Care | The White House Comprehensive health care reform can no longer wait. Rapidly escalating health care costs are crushing family, business, and government budgets. www.whitehouse.gov

Health Reform

Health reform must make health care more than just sick care. …

www.healthreform.gov

The revised recommendations issued by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force concern mammograms and breast self-exams. Under the new guidelines, the task force now says:

• Most women in their 40’s should not routinely get mammograms.
• Women 50 to 74 should get mammograms every other year until they turn 75, after which the risks and benefits are unknown.
• The value of breast exams by doctors is unknown.
• Breast self-exams are of no value. (This is the most shocking. Four of five young women I know to have been diagnosed with breast cancer in the past two years found the lump in their breast through self examination)
• These guidelines are in disagreement with both the recommendations of the American Cancer Society, and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists.

Who makes up this panel of so-called federal experts who recently issued these guidelines about breast cancer screening? My understanding is there are no oncologists on the panel! If this is true, how can we have people making recommendations who are not experts in what they are recommending?

Who appointed them? Do we know if any have been lobbyists for the insurance industry? What exactly are the main objectives of these new and reckless guidelines?

How can a woman examining her own breast be a detriment to her health?

• We need to encourage women to be proactive and vigilant in maintaining health and well-being.
• Women should know from in their teens what a normal healthy breast should feel like.
• Women with a family history of breast cancer need to be particularly vigilant and start screening 10 years before the age their mother or affected first degree relative was diagnosed.
• We are not advocating for added radiation to any part of the body; we do believe that women should find good, competent OB/GYN physicians, develop a relationship and get good reliable medical advice and guidance. Women should not depend on sound health advice from such panels, but rather from health care experts who know their family history and personal health condition.

According to an article in the NY Times dated Nov. 20, 2009, “This panel was appointed by the prior administration, by former President George Bush.” President Obama has been vilified by some for a panel he had no part in selecting. This type of Task Force has been in existence since 1984. Could it be that the prior administration put in place a group to do exactly what this group is doing?

• What exactly are the benefits of these guidelines?
• What are they intended to accomplish and for whom?

“Breast cancer is most common in women over 50. But that doesn’t mean it can’t occur in younger women. There are many cases in women in their 40s. And while it’s far more rare in women under 40, women in their 20s and 30s can and do get breast cancer. But it is relatively rare. Less than 5 percent of all breast cancers occur in women under age 40.” While this might be true in some abstract form, if your child is one of the 5% then to you it is NOT rare at all. Right here in CT between 2007 and 2009, I personally know of five women in their 30’s who have the most aggressive form of breast cancer.

“All too often, a young woman may be misdiagnosed. She may detect a lump or a thickening, go in to see her doctor, and be told she just has lumpy breasts or “fibrocystic disease” and should be followed. And she is—until her doctors realize it’s more serious than they initially believed. Then, they step into action. This is why even though the vast majority of lumps in women under 35 are benign, it’s important for doctors to be vigilant and bear in mind that young women can develop breast cancer.” (The above two paragraphs in quotes are from Dr. Susan Love’s web site at www.dslrf.org)

Another area of breast cancer that needs to be very closely examined and research is– to see if there is a possible relationship between using an IUD and developing breast cancer. An IUD, or intrauterine device, is a tiny, plastic, T-shaped instrument inserted into a woman’s uterus for the purpose of preventing unwanted pregnancies. Compared with other methods of birth control, IUDs are considered to be among the most cost effective and convenient method of contraceptives available.

One of the young women I know was put on birth control pills to regulate her period; she then developed breast cancer. Another had been on birth control pills for several years; she was diagnosed with bilateral tumors at age 34. The other three all had IUDs for four or more years and they were all diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer in their early to mid-30’s. While there may be many other reasons why these young women are now sharing this unfortunate distinction, we are saying this needs to be looked at more closely. When we have raised this question with some physicians we have gotten a shrug of the shoulder and a: ‘as far as I know, there has been no link established.’ A link can only be established if there is research and careful study. If breast cancer is indeed rare among young women, when five young women show up with this disease, and birth control methods seem to be the most obvious thing they have in common, it needs to be looked at very closely. We can only find out if we explore. While individual doctors are not responsible for research, vigilant and astute doctors are often responsible for promulgating solutions. These findings should be reported to the CDC.

While we know that we need to be careful how we react to information on the web, there are times when such information is very helpful in pointing us in important directions to get valuable information. Here is one such link:

Breast Cancer Topic: Mirena IUD?
http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/27/topic/706634
31 posts – 25 authors – Last post: Oct 8, 2009
My radiation oncologist suspects that the Mirena IUD, which I had inserted 3+ years prior, could have been the cause of my breast cancer. …

Breast cancer in the 30’s might not be as rare as we tend to think. The possible connection between the use of IUDs and breast cancer needs to be explored. One of the women went in and had a bilateral mastectomy and the doctors did not remove her IUD, or even discussed it! Yet, for another of the women her doctor said the IUD had to be removed immediately. Unfortunately, there is no uniformity in standard of care on these issues. It seems to be the luck of the draw, and who you have as a doctor. This is why it is important to be able to check for key background information on your health provider. It is very important that you get the best and most effective treatment at the outset; cancer does not allow kindly for do-overs. While mammograms might not pick up all invasive forms of cancer early enough, if it picks up 30 percent who can be treated successfully, that will be 57,711 of the estimated 192,370 new cases of invasive breast cancer which occurred among women in the United States during 2009. Early detection and effective treatment are keys to survival and continued good health. Since when is 30% of anything not valuable to know?

Get familiar with what your breast feels like and ask your doctor to teach you how to do a thorough breast self-exam. Get your annual check-ups and talk to your health care providers about your concerns. Be proactive; get informed. Knowledge is power. Empower yourself in 2010. Peace and good health to you.

Byllye Avery is an African-American woman born in 1937; she knows what it is like to be forced to go without some of the essentials, and she KNOWS how important it is for everyone to have access to affordable health care.  She will be in New Haven at the First & Summerfield Methodist Church, 425 College Street (College & Elm), Tues. Jan 26, 2010, 6-8PM to Speak OUT that we NEED HEALTH CARE THAT WORKS FOR ALL WOMEN!  Women are dying for a lack of access to afforable care.

Byllye Y. Avery.pdf    Here is a page of information.  Please copy and share it with everyone you can reach.  This is important.  President Obama had great difficulty getting a public option in the bill he worked so HARD to pass in Congress.  That was with a 60 count “supposed to be majority.”  He could not get what he wanted from some Democrats, and the Republicans are more committed to him failing as our president than to what is best for Americans who are in need.   There are those Democrats and Republicans who wanted to hold the National Budget  hostage to get what they want rather than to do what is best for the majority of the people; those who elected the president.  Today that 60 count “socalled” majority no longer exists.  A Republican has taken over Senator Ted Kennedy’s seat in MA!!!!  We- the people- need to let Congress hear our voices.  We NEED to let Governor Rell hear from us.  We NEED Health Care that works for ALL  people, and certainly for ALL WOMEN.  Don’t allow Republicans & ultra-conservative Democrats to sabotage the lives of millions.

Come to First & Summerfield Methodist Church on Jan. 26, at 6PM.  Get information from someone who has been on the ground advocating for health care that works for women before we heard of Roe Vs Wade.  Byllye Avery is the founder of the National Black Women’s Project. She was also the co-founder (in 1974) of the Gainsville Women’s Health Center in Florida.

What proactive steps have you taken this year to let your Congressional Rep. know what it is that you want? Our elected officials are supposed to work for us- we the people- who elected them to office.  They are NOT hearing enough from us, so they are listening to the lobbyists who are paid by the insurance and big business conglomerates, and by the drug companies.  These big companies want to protect their 700% + mark-ups; this means profits.  This means BIG bonuses to the wealthiest in our nation!  Right here in America  people are dying for lack of access to health care!  This is an outrage.  Poor women are the worst off! 

There are many of us who have NO HEALTH CARE coverage at all.  Some are faced with the decision of paying the mortgage or paying for COBRA.  Since we do not want to become homeless, we pay the mortgage and go without health care.  The State of CT will put a lien on your property if you do not have money to pay taxes they claim you owe.  The poor and near poor are caught between a ROCK and a HARD place. Many who have jobs and health care coverage believe that those of us who don’t are irresponsible people. That is totally FALSE.  When you have very limited resources and the choice is between feeding your children or paying for health coverage, every good parent feeds the children.

Come and get the real facts from Byllye Avery on Tues. Jan. 26, 6-8PM at First & Summerfield United Methodist Church, 425 College Street, NH

 The church is located on the corner near Elm & College Streets.  Form a car pool; save on gas.  Be there; bring a note pad.  Watch “21st Century Conversations” on your local access TV station to learn more about health literacy. Visit our web site at: www.oneworldpi.org Become positively involved in your community.  A healthy community is a stronger community.  An informed community is a more powerful community.  GET INFORMED!  BECOME EMPOWERED! 

The politicians and pundits get away with too much because they know that we are too busy trying to stay afloat, so they say and do things that are detrimental to the most vulnerable.  PLEASE do not let it continue to happen.  STAND UP & SPEAK OUT. DEMAND SENSIBLE HEALTH CARE REFORM THAT BENEFITS ALL. WOMEN NEED ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE AND APPLICABLE CARE.

Parents and Teachers Collaborate on OneWorld Education Program Oct. 29, 2009

Marc Palmieri, retired principal and OneWorld board member, hosted the program. Visitors can read the article and viewers comments at this link: Teachers Teach The New Math—To Parents

It is difficult –if not impossible– to quantify the total benefits of the television programs presented by OneWorld Progressive Institute, Inc., nor do we know who exactly are the most significant beneficiaries. However, we know from the feedback we get that there are several beneficiaries and that pleases us. We do find it more than a little curious that many of the parents and teachers who have called us on the phone to provide comments in response to this specific TV program (with parents and teachers), or to the article would not post those comments to this web site, and many did not want to identify themselves. Because we are dealing with school systems rather than business organizations we find the fear factor expressed by some a little disconcerting. We are not sure why some people felt afraid to express themselves one way or another in writing. We are certainly grateful to those who have done so. Of all the programs we have done in 2009, and that have been covered by the NHI, this and the program on Women’s Health (Tips on Healthy Aging) have had the largest number of community responses.  You can read that article at this link: Tips Given For Healthy Aging

We greatly appreciate hearing from those who have called, asked questions, shared experiences and provided additional information and insights that might help us to produce more effective programs. This is among our main objectives, along with engaging the community so that the programs we produce will have positive effects on large numbers of people. We agree one hundred percent with the comments posted by retired principal, Lisette Bernier-McGowan. “Although it is well known that family involvement increases achievement, it is also well understood that cultural diversity, differences in values, work-place and family-life demands, as well as discrepancies in expectations have often made collaboration extremely difficult. Yet, we also know that good schools are known for transforming difficulties and barriers into opportunities for creative action. Several of these creative fresh insights were revealed by the comments and anecdotes of parents and teachers during the televised program, as described by this article. Two main ideas artfully put forth by the program facilitator – retired school administrator Marc Palmieri – had the gentle power of setting the mood by reminding the panel that they (parents and educators alike) are dual partners, mutually responsible and equally entrusted to the most important task of preparing the Nation’s children for successful and productive adult lives.

Opening the gates to useful ideas and practical suggestions were these two thoughts: “the parent is the first teacher”, and “education occurs both in the classroom and beyond the classroom walls”. These statements placed parents in their legitimate role as key members of the school community, whose expectations, skills, strengths and efforts are essential to their children’s school success.

It is important to celebrate and disperse the seeds of success throughout – from wherever they are found to wherever they are needed – so that not only a few but all schools can offer programs of excellence.

We encourage viewers to watch “21^st Century Conversations” on Comcast—CTV– Channel 26 every Tuesday at 7-8PM. Starting in Feb. 2010 we will present our middle school oratory competition between students from four school districts. DVD copies of all of our programs are available through our web site. Viewers can visit our site to place orders; they can also pay easily using PayPal on the site.

Lastly, we encourage viewers and site visitors to send us comments about any of our programs. We welcome feedback and suggestions for future programs. Our goals are to keep the broader community informed about health literacy, education at every level, and to encourage positive civic engagement.