Idaho Health Care for All

Member Newsletter                      March 16, 2013

Dear IHCA member/supporter,

We at IHCFA along with our national organization Physicians for a National Health Care Program (PNHP) continue to educate the public on the importance of a single-payer health care financing plan.  Health insurance companies continue to raise premiums and cost shift to members that prices many out of the market especially those who need insurance the most.  As detailed in a recent article by Steven Brill, out current system of for-profit healthcare financing we can expect nothing different (Times 3/4/13) A single-payer system is the only sustainable and equitable way to provide universal health insurance by making risk pools larger and reducing administrative costs.

Our goal is to ultimately replace our current system, including Obamacare with The Expanded And Improved Medicare For All Act (HR 676) proposed by Senator Conyers.  A single-payer program would control cost whereas Obamacare does not and appears to be increasing costs for the system, businesses as well as individuals. 

IHCFA is working incrementally toward this goal by advocating for Medicaid expansion to secure insurance coverage for at least 104,000 more Idahoans.  The federal government would pay for most all of the Medicaid expansion with a 10-year savings to Idaho of $478 million because it would replace the current unsustainable state-run catastrophic insurance program (Statesman 3/14/13).  We are also working against the proposed tax loophole for business property that will simply shift more money away from healthcare and other important public services like education.  Lastly, we are engaged in the state health insurance exchange planning to keep it affordable and accessible for those who need insurance the most.  Please contact your state legislator about your opinions on these issues as decision because committee and floor votes are likely to come up this week.

Find much more information on the IHCFA Iwebsite and renew your $25.00 tax-deductible membership there as well.  You can also renew by check if preferred. Let us know by email or through our website if you have any questions or are interested in volunteering.  We could always use the help.

Sincerely,

E. Gregory Thompson, M.D.                  Lou Schlickman, M.D.