Western PA Coalition for Single-Payer Healthcare

Working for passage of the "United States National Health Care Act", also known as,

the "Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act" (H.R. 676)

	WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA COALITION FOR SINGLE PAYER HEALTHCARE www.WPaSinglePayer.org For Immediate Release Contact: Ed Cloonan, 412/461-9115, edcloonan@gmail.com March 6, 2009 Ed Grystar, 412/215-4141, egrystar@aol.com SINGLE PAYER HEALTH CARE ADVOCATES PROTEST HIGHMARK RETAIL STORE PITTSBURGH, March 6-Single-Payer health care advocates protested today (11:30am-1:00pm) in front of Highmark’s downtown headquarters to decry the opening of a “Highmark Direct” retail store at the McKnight-Seibert shopping center on March 7. The store represents what single-payer advocates claim is the fundamental reason why the US health care system is in crisis: the emphasis has gone from insuring quality health care to doing what’s good for the “bottom line.” “Health care should not be sold like popcorn, cell phones, or peanuts,” said Ed Cloonan, protest organizer. “Highmark is using Pirate and Penguin mascots and interactive games for children as a bait and switch for merchandising their insurance. Folks have a human right to health care. The Pirate Parrot and Penguin Iceberg have nothing to do with that human right. Highmark proves every month that a single-payer health care system is the only answer to this marketplace’s unnecessary waste of our health care dollars.” “Our bodies are not for sale,” said Sandra Fox, President of the Western Pennsylvania Coalition for Single Payer Healthcare. “The idea of a store to sell health care coverage is appalling and an insult to the value of human life. We need to treat health care as the human right it is and not a commodity for the fortunate." “It’s ironic,” said David Hughes, executive director of the consumer advocacy organization Citizen Power. “The reason Highmark is opening these stores is because the high cost of insurance is destroying employer-based health coverage and forcing people to find their own coverage. Predator Highmark first causes the problem then weaves its web of retail stores to trap its helpless victims.” “The opening of a "retail" outlet is proof that Highmark is really a for profit business,” said Rosemary Prostko, Coalition member. "Profit driven health care has crippled the employer based system in America. We are no longer competitive in a global economy. It is time for a fiscally sound, common sense approach to health care. Unions, employers, and all working Americans deserve single-payer health care," said Michael G. Plaskon, Br.84, National Association of Letter Carriers “Tragically, people are now confusing insurance with health care and, as such, have lost sight of the fact that insurers do nothing but interfere with the relationship between a caregiver and patient. Why is Highmark using your premium dollars to open a storefront? Shouldn't all health care dollars go to providing health care?” asks South Hills pediatrician Scott Tyson. In a December 11, 2008 press release, Highmark boasted that it “helps members live longer, healthier lives by ensuring access to affordable, high quality health insurance and services.” Yet, the US has the most expensive health care system in the world, costing every American $8,000, more than double what health care costs in other industrialized countries. An estimated 25-30% of this cost goes to insurance company overhead and profits. Despite the high profits, 46 million Americans have no insurance and at least 50 million are under-insured. High health care costs are the leading cause of personal bankruptcies, and businesses can’t afford employee insurance premiums. In the December 11 press release, Highmark said it “knows that both purchasing and using health insurance is confusing. Between health insurance terminology, such as HMO, PPO and HSA, and insurance usage requirements, such as co-pays, deductibles and formularies, consumers are often confused and frustrated. That's where Highmark Direct can help.” However, instead of getting rid of the confusing system, Highmark claims to be providing a service by opening stores where the confused can come to get answers from the very Company that created the confusion in the first place. There’s a solution to all of this: it’s called Single-Payer, where all the confusion is removed, everyone is covered, and we actually save money. Single-payer advocates nationwide are calling for the enactment of HR 676—“Expanded and Improved Medicare for All”—a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives that has wide grassroots support. Advocates indicate that such a system would offer excellent healthcare coverage for all, cut out the insurance company middlemen, negotiate lower drug prices with the pharmaceutical industry, offer full choice of doctors and hospitals, and save money. Economist Dean Baker of the Center for Economic Research and Policy estimates that HR 676 would save $387 billion annually in overall health care spending. "The ‘free market’ forces that control health care in the US have failed. Millions are either without coverage or are undercovered. The cost to business and the public for insurance premiums keeps rising, along with health related bankruptcies. Health Care is a human right. It's time to end this crime of for profit health insurance and enact universal, not for profit, single- payer healthcare, HR 676,” said Ed Grystar, Executive Board member, Butler County United Labor Council, AFL-CIO and Co-Chair of the Western Pennsylvania Coalition for Single Payer Healthcare. “As a veteran, who uses the great single-payer VA heath care system, it is appalling that families are forced to buy health insurance in a retail store. Healthcare is a human right--there is no room for insurance companies skimming profits from our care," said Vietnam Veteran and Oakland resident Phil Gallagher. “Disability turns your life upside down and makes you afraid for the future. Who will pay the medical bills to restore your health? Thankfully Medicare-a single payer system-available to me as a disabled worker, covered surgeries for my severe spinal injury and the rehabilitation I needed. We are all entitled to the peace of mind that Medicare coverage gave me,” said Virginia Eskridge, retired Law Librarian ### BACK TO HOME PAGE

WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA COALITION FOR SINGLE PAYER HEALTHCARE

www.WPaSinglePayer.org

For Immediate Release Contact: Ed Cloonan, 412/461-9115, edcloonan@gmail.com
March 6, 2009 Ed Grystar, 412/215-4141, egrystar@aol.com

SINGLE PAYER HEALTH CARE ADVOCATES PROTEST HIGHMARK RETAIL STORE

PITTSBURGH, March 6-Single-Payer health care advocates protested today (11:30am-1:00pm) in front of Highmark’s downtown headquarters to decry the opening of a “Highmark Direct” retail store at the McKnight-Seibert shopping center on March 7. The store represents what single-payer advocates claim is the fundamental reason why the US health care system is in crisis: the emphasis has gone from insuring quality health care to doing what’s good for the “bottom line.”

“Health care should not be sold like popcorn, cell phones, or peanuts,” said Ed Cloonan, protest organizer. “Highmark is using Pirate and Penguin mascots and interactive games for children as a bait and switch for merchandising their insurance. Folks have a human right to health care. The Pirate Parrot and Penguin Iceberg have nothing to do with that human right. Highmark proves every month that a single-payer health care system is the only answer to this marketplace’s unnecessary waste of our health care dollars.”

“Our bodies are not for sale,” said Sandra Fox, President of the Western Pennsylvania Coalition for Single Payer Healthcare. “The idea of a store to sell health care coverage is appalling and an insult to the value of human life. We need to treat health care as the human right it is and not a commodity for the fortunate."

“It’s ironic,” said David Hughes, executive director of the consumer advocacy organization Citizen Power. “The reason Highmark is opening these stores is because the high cost of insurance is destroying employer-based health coverage and forcing people to find their own coverage. Predator Highmark first causes the problem then weaves its web of retail stores to trap its helpless victims.”

“The opening of a "retail" outlet is proof that Highmark is really a for profit business,” said Rosemary Prostko, Coalition member.

"Profit driven health care has crippled the employer based system in America. We are no longer competitive in a global economy. It is time for a fiscally sound, common sense approach to health care. Unions, employers, and all working Americans deserve single-payer health care,"
said Michael G. Plaskon, Br.84, National Association of Letter Carriers

“Tragically, people are now confusing insurance with health care and, as such, have lost sight of the fact that insurers do nothing but interfere with the relationship between a caregiver and patient. Why is Highmark using your premium dollars to open a storefront? Shouldn't all health care dollars go to providing health care?” asks South Hills pediatrician Scott Tyson.

In a December 11, 2008 press release, Highmark boasted that it “helps members live longer, healthier lives by ensuring access to affordable, high quality health insurance and services.” Yet, the US has the most expensive health care system in the world, costing every American $8,000, more than double what health care costs in other industrialized countries. An estimated 25-30% of this cost goes to insurance company overhead and profits.

Despite the high profits, 46 million Americans have no insurance and at least 50 million are under-insured. High health care costs are the leading cause of personal bankruptcies, and businesses can’t afford employee insurance premiums.

In the December 11 press release, Highmark said it “knows that both purchasing and using health insurance is confusing. Between health insurance terminology, such as HMO, PPO and HSA, and insurance usage requirements, such as co-pays, deductibles and formularies, consumers are often confused and frustrated. That's where Highmark Direct can help.”

However, instead of getting rid of the confusing system, Highmark claims to be providing a service by opening stores where the confused can come to get answers from the very Company that created the confusion in the first place.

There’s a solution to all of this: it’s called Single-Payer, where all the confusion is removed, everyone is covered, and we actually save money.

Single-payer advocates nationwide are calling for the enactment of HR 676—“Expanded and Improved Medicare for All”—a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives that has wide grassroots support. Advocates indicate that such a system would offer excellent healthcare coverage for all, cut out the insurance company middlemen, negotiate lower drug prices with the pharmaceutical industry, offer full choice of doctors and hospitals, and save money. Economist Dean Baker of the Center for Economic Research and Policy estimates that HR 676 would save $387 billion annually in overall health care spending.

"The ‘free market’ forces that control health care in the US have failed. Millions are either without coverage or are undercovered. The cost to business and the public for insurance premiums keeps rising, along with health related bankruptcies. Health Care is a human right. It's time to end this crime of for profit health insurance and enact universal, not for profit, single- payer healthcare, HR 676,” said Ed Grystar, Executive Board member, Butler County United Labor Council, AFL-CIO and Co-Chair of the Western Pennsylvania Coalition for Single Payer Healthcare.

“As a veteran, who uses the great single-payer VA heath care system, it is appalling that families are forced to buy health insurance in a retail store. Healthcare is a human right--there is no room for insurance companies skimming profits from our care," said Vietnam Veteran and Oakland resident Phil Gallagher.

“Disability turns your life upside down and makes you afraid for the future. Who will pay the medical bills to restore your health? Thankfully Medicare-a single payer system-available to me as a disabled worker, covered surgeries for my severe spinal injury and the rehabilitation I needed. We are all entitled to the peace of mind that Medicare coverage gave me,” said Virginia Eskridge, retired Law Librarian

###

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