Seachange Bulletin #127March 3, 2004Seachange Bulletin ArchivesEmail the editorSeachange Bulletin #127: Mounting Pressure for National Health Care Washington - In what promises to be the largest one-day outpouring of grassroots support for comprehensive reform, hundreds of local unions, retiree groups, and grassroots community organizations are mobilizing for a nationwide "Health Care Action Day" in more than 125 communities across the country on March 4. ... One cornerstone of the action day is on-the-job mobilizations by union members who are angry about pressure from their employers to pay for runaway health care costs, a situation made worse by Pres. Bush's new Medicare law that encourages companies to shift drug costs to retirees. Activists in over 250 local unions are mobilizing hundreds of thousands of members to put on Jobs with Justice stickers calling for health care for all. Last week, union leaders provided members with special educational materials about the causes of the health care crisis and how a national insurance plan that covers everyone is the best way to fix it. Eight national unions sponsored the day of action. A second focus is at the community level where 25 local Jobs with Justice coalitions are organizing over 120 grassroots actions that include demonstrations and marches, educational forums and hearings, delegations to lobby elected representatives and pass city council resolutions, events calling attention to the crushing burden of health care debt on working families, protests at facilities where cuts threaten essential community services, and setting up mock clinics to dispense "prescriptions for change." Six national health care reform organizations also sponsored Health Care Action Day. ... For-profit Hospital Patients, Higher Risk Alex Cukan, United Press International, May 31, 2002 <http://www.hawaiireporter.com/story.aspx?e8e095db-9997-4594-a82f-60d8c4bbcd58 > Hamilton, Ontario - Medicare patients treated in private for-profit hospitals in the United States have a greater risk of dying than those cared for in private not-for-profit hospitals, according to a study of the outcomes of 38 million patients. ... Options at UnitedHealth dwarf other Minnesota firms Terry Fiedler, Minneapolis Star Tribune, May 19, 2003 <http://www.startribune.com/stories/535/3887731.html> When the pension fund of one of the country's largest unions decided to screen US companies to see which ones were being especially generous with executive stock options, UnitedHealth Group immediately stood out. ... Bitter medicine: Why health care is a privilege, not a right, in America Tom Gallagher, San Francisco Bay Guardian, June 25, 2003 <http://www.sfbg.com/lit/2003-06/bittermedicine.html> As VI Lenin, the leader of the Russian Revolution, wrote, "Socialized Medicine is the keystone to the arch of the Socialist State." Actually, Lenin didn't write that, but the American Medical Association figured he might as well have, so it made up the quote for him and used it in its anti-national health insurance literature of the late 1940s. Such were the politics of health care in the 20th-century United States. ... The IHSP's 12 Steps to Rehabilitating Health Care Mary Watters, Revolution Magazine, October-November 2003 <http://www.revolutionmag.com/newrev17/ihspanswer.html> They stare with disbelief at what their health premiums will be. They tsk-tsk TV news reports exposing deadly mistakes and care problems in hospitals far away. They retell the stories of friends who've had horrible hospital stays to co-workers who reply with similar and frightening stories. They grow, by turns, outraged, anxious and numb to a health care system they pay into and hope they never have to use. "They" are US consumers and, more and more, they are becoming disenchanted, distrustful and disgusted by the state of health care in the wealthiest nation in the world. ... Health system is bad business Dr. Susanne King, Lenox, Berkshire Eagle, November 21, 2003 Small businesses are caught in the crushing vise of rising health care costs. ... Health care insurance tied to the workplace is an anachronism which began after World War II when wages were frozen; health insurance companies were set up to provide health care benefits, rather than raising wages. Now that premiums are so astronomical, smaller businesses cannot afford to offer this benefit to their employees. A change in the health care system is needed to sever this outdated, unhealthy bond between employment and health care insurance. A single payer healthcare system (one in which the government is the source of funds and the sole administrator, like Medicare), would alleviate this impossible burden for small businesses. ... Massachusetts group seeks statewide healthcare coverage Jeff Tieman, Modern Healthcare's Daily Dose A coalition of providers, consumers and other stakeholders has filed a petition to amend the Massachusetts Constitution to mandate universal healthcare coverage. The Committee for Healthcare for Massachusetts, a ballot initiative campaign committee, has collected some 71,000 signatures in support of the amendment, said the committee's co-chair, Barbara Roop. [C]ertified by the secretary of state, the petition [has gone] to the state Legislature, which [is] be required to convene a constitutional convention by May 15. If 25% of legislators approve the petition, it would move to the next legislative session for a second round of approval. If approved there, the amendment would go on the ballot for a public vote in 2006. The proposal does not call for any specific insurance program but would require that a plan be developed to guarantee coverage for state residents. ... Health Care for Massachusetts Campaign: We Need You! The campaign moves forward, but we need your endorsement, your time and your help to make it a success! <http://www.massnurses.org/News/2004/02/univhealth.htm> We are asking you to endorse of the Constitutional Amendment Campaign to make comprehensive and affordable health insurance a permanent right for all. We are seeking endorsements from individuals and organizations to build support for it. Both types of campaign endorsement forms are included here through the following links: * Personal Endorsement Form <http://www.healthcareformass.org/EndorsementPage.pdf> * Organizational Endorsement Form <http://www.healthcareformass.org/OrgEndorsementPage.pdf> They can be faxed to 617-868-1363 or mailed in, and they are also available on the campaign website at <http://www.healthcareformass.org>. ... Insurer pressure cited as psychiatric stays shortened Liz Kowalczyk, Boston Globe, December 13, 2003 During his stay in MetroWest Medical Center's psychiatric unit, Darlene James's 11-year-old son often exploded in anger. He would punch and kick the nurses until they restrained him or sent him to the quiet room, where he would pound the walls, she said. Even Paul's psychiatrist wrote in his case summary that Paul was unstable and would need extensive outpatient treatment. So James was surprised when, 12 days after the boy's admission, doctors discharged him from the hospital. ... Although doctors said Paul no longer required hospital care, James worries another factor was at work: Her insurance company had agreed to pay for just three hospital days and MetroWest was swallowing the rest of the cost for Paul's stay, $10,000 and growing. ... Health care changes stir rally Child advocates say too many have lost insurance coverage Mary Leonard, Boston Globe, December 17, 2003 Washington - In Texas, 58,000 low-income children have lost state health insurance since September because of strict new eligibility rules. Florida capped enrollment in its insurance program in July and has put 44,000 poor children on a waiting list. And Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger plans to limit California's health coverage for children as of Dec. 31. Today, child-health advocates will rally outside the State House to protest new rules, effective Nov. 1, that require between 8,000 and 10,000 poor children covered by MassHealth, or Medicaid, to pay $12 for doctors' visits, and that raise the monthly premium as much as 400 percent on middle-income children who receive health insurance through the state's Children's Medical Security Plan. ... Medicare Chief Joins Firm With Health Clients Robert Pear, The New York Times, December 19, 2003 Washington - Thomas A. Scully, the official who ran Medicare and Medicaid for the last two and a half years, announced on Thursday that he was joining Alston & Bird, a law firm based in Atlanta that represents many hospitals, drug manufacturers and other companies in the health care industry. Mr. Scully resigned on Monday as administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, part of the Health and Human Services Department that provides health insurance to more than 75 million people. The managing partner of Alston & Bird, Ben F. Johnson III, said that as an architect of the new Medicare law, Mr. Scully would add "an unparalleled perspective" to the health care practice of the firm. ... Nurses Play Critical Role in Maine Healthcare Reform Healthcare Review, December 20, 2003 <http://www.healthcarereview.com/back_issues/articles.php?show=256> Augusta - Once again, a governor of Maine has turned to bedside nurses to play a crucial part in drafting important healthcare policy reforms. On the first day of his new administration, Governor John Baldacci signed an executive order creating the Governor’s Office of Health Policy and Finance. He also established the Health Action Team and immediately asked Maine State Nurses Association (MSNA) executive director Patricia Philbrook, RNC, NP, to participate as a key member. ... Hawaii’s hospitals see continuing losses as reimbursements tumble Costs for education and charity care also are mounting at cash-strapped facilities Lyn Danninger, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, December 21, 2003 <http://starbulletin.com/2003/12/21/business/index2.html> Hawaii's hospitals and nursing homes say they are continuing to lose money despite the latest report by the US Census Bureau that says the nation's health and social assistance sector registered revenue increases 2002. The Census report, released Dec. 16, said hospital payments from private insurance were up 11 percent over the previous year, payments from the Federal Medicare program increased 10 percent, while payments for the state and federal jointly-funded Medicaid program were up 8 percent. ... Shortsighted States Are Putting Health Care on the Chopping Block Ronald Brownstein, Los Angeles Times, December 22, 2003 <http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-outlook22dec22,1,1530639 .story> The number of Americans without health insurance now equals the population of Pennsylvania, Michigan, Illinois and North Carolina combined. From 2000 through 2002 alone, the number of uninsured Americans jumped by nearly 4 million, to 43.5 million overall. Today almost one in six Americans lacks health insurance. And the problem is about to get worse. Americans obtain health insurance from two principal sources: employers and government programs. ... The share of Americans receiving health coverage from their employers has declined in each of the last two years, as higher premiums encourage businesses to either pass on more of the bill to their workers (which means fewer buy insurance) or drop coverage altogether. ... Health care gap seen for Calif. Hispanics Gillian Flaccus, Associated Press, December 25, 2003 Los Angeles - For years, Miguel Salazar Castell paid $40 a week at the county clinic to have his blood sugar tested and collect a new supply of pills to control his diabetes. Without insurance, the 64-year-old auto mechanic counted on the visits to stay healthy so he could support his two sons, three stepchildren, and three nephews by working seven days a week. But one night last year, just after Thanksgiving, Castell awoke in a drenching sweat, too dizzy to even stand up. His blood sugar had plummeted, and he lapsed into a diabetic shock. Because he did not have insurance, the local emergency room sent Castell 90 miles away to another hospital, where he eventually stayed 10 days. He received in-home nursing care for three more months, ringing up $60,000 in bills he cannot pay. ... Time for single payer? Ruth Rosen, San Francisco Chronicle, December 29, 2003 <http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2003/12/29/EDG S53U1CM1.DTL&type=health> Don't be surprised if health care turns out to be the sleeper issue in the 2004 presidential campaign and if a majority of Americans eventually decide that a single-payer system is the most cost-efficient way to provide health care for everyone. Why? Because our health system - a fragmented hodgepodge of private and public-health plans - is broken. HMOs - which pay huge amounts for administrative and bureaucratic costs, advertising and skyrocketing drug prices - no longer can contain costs. They have also turned the health-care system into a blizzard of paperwork. ... Uncharitable Care: How Hospitals are Gouging and Even Arresting the Uninsured Democracy Now!, January 7, 2004 <http://www.counterpunch.org/scahill01072004.html> What do the Emir of Kuwait and the working poor of the United States have in common? Not much, except when it comes to paying for health care in the United States. They all pay the highest price: up to 500% more than the hospital receives from insured patients. That's because hospitals negotiate discounts with big institutions like insurance companies, HMOs or the government that require payment of only a fraction of the listed charges. Those institutions have substantial bargaining power and can guarantee hospitals a certain number of patients. Uninsured people, on the other hand, have no bargaining power and are left to fend for themselves once they get their bills. ... Health Spending Rises to Record 15% of Economy Robert Pear, The New York Times, January 9, 2004 <http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/09/politics/09HEAL.html?ex=1078290000&en=5983b 8221ad7d69b&ei=5070> Washington - Health spending accounts for nearly 15 percent of the nation's economy, the largest share on record, the Bush administration said on Thursday. The Department of Health and Human Services said that health care spending shot up 9.3 percent in 2002, the largest increase in 11 years, to a total of $1.55 trillion. That represents an average of $5,440 for each person in the United States. ... Single-Payer: We'd Get More for Less Patchwork Health-care Reform not What Most Want, or Need Brian Smith, MD, Boulder Daily Camera, January 11, 2004 <http://www.commondreams.org/cgi-bin/print.cgi?file=/views04/0112-10.htm> Politics aside, we could all have better health care for less cost. Our current health-care system pays for universal health care but does so in an ineffective, costly manner while providing overall poor care. Unfortunately, a majority of physicians are opposed to single-payer health care (Editor’s Note: not true in Massachusetts, at least; see below), despite a majority of citizens who support it. Major health-care reform will happen only if citizens demand change. ... New health plan to focus on small firms Summerlin expects to start marketing its products by mid-year Lyn Danninger, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, January 13, 2004 <http://starbulletin.com/2004/01/13/business/index3.html> Summerlin Life & Health Insurance Co., the Nevada-based health insurer that plans to enter the Hawaii market, will likely be ready to offer several different insurance products within the next few months, its top executive says. Jim Dyer, chief executive officer and president of Summerlin's parent company, Tempe-Az.-based IMX Inc., said he anticipates being ready to begin selling Summerlin health plans in Hawaii by May or June in time for July 1, when many of the state's small business renew their health plans. ... Study Shows National Health Insurance Could Save $286 Billion on Health Care Paperwork Authors Say Medicare Drug Bill Will Increase Bureaucratic Costs, Reward Insurers and the AARP Public Citizen, January 14, 2004 <http://www.citizen.org/pressroom/release.cfm?ID=1623> A study by researchers at Harvard Medical School and Public Citizen to be published in Friday’s International Journal of Health Services finds that health care bureaucracy last year cost the United States $399.4 billion. The study estimates that national health insurance (NHI) could save at least $286 billion annually on paperwork, enough to cover all of the uninsured and to provide full prescription drug coverage for everyone in the United States. ... The authors found that bureaucracy accounts for at least 31 percent of total US health spending compared to 16.7 percent in Canada. They also found that administration has grown far faster in the United States than in Canada. ... Democrats See a New Urgency in Health Care Robin Toner, The New York Times, January 14, 2004 <http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/14/politics/campaigns/14HEAL.html?th> Des Moines - Ten years after the political collapse of President Bill Clinton's health plan, the Democratic Party's presidential candidates are proposing, once again, major new programs for guaranteed, affordable health insurance, setting the stage for one of the starker contrasts with President Bush in the general election campaign. ... Insuring America's Health: Principles and Recommendations Institute of Medicine, January 14, 2004 <http://www.iom.edu/report.asp?id=17632> Lack of health insurance causes roughly 18,000 unnecessary deaths every year in the United States. Although America leads the world in spending on health care, it is the only wealthy, industrialized nation that does not ensure that all citizens have coverage. To help policy-makers, elected officials, and others judge and compare proposals to extend coverage to the nation's 43 million uninsured, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies offers a set of guiding principles and a checklist in a new report, Insuring America's Health: Principles and Recommendations. ... The principles for guiding the debate and evaluating various strategies are: * Health care coverage should be universal. * Health care coverage should be continuous. * Health care coverage should be affordable to individuals and families. * The health insurance strategy should be affordable and sustainable for society. * Health insurance should enhance health and well-being by promoting access to high-quality care that is effective, efficient, safe, timely, patient-centered, and equitable. ... US Urged on Universal Health Insurance Mark Sherman, Associated Press, January 14, 2004 Washington - The Institute of Medicine on Wednesday recommended for the first time that the government provide universal health insurance, attempting to spark an election-year debate on a decades-old problem that keeps getting worse. The president and Congress should set 2010 as the deadline for providing coverage to all, according to the institute, part of the National Academy of Sciences, a private organization chartered by Congress to provide scientific advice to the government. The report endorsed no proposal and provided no estimate of cost, except to say it would be expensive (sic). It said that rising costs, increasing numbers of uninsured and growing financial pressures on health care providers have created the right conditions for major reform at the federal level ... California Nurses Applaud Call for 'Galvanized Action' to Achieve Universal Healthcare California Nurses Association, January 14, 2004 <http://www.calnurse.org/cna/press/11404.html> The California Nurses Association today welcomed and identified itself with the recommendation by the National Academy of Science for extending universal healthcare coverage to all Americans in seven years. ... "The committee's report is particularly important because it graphically details the pain and suffering that results from leaving a large portion of our communities uninsured or underinsured," said CNA President Deborah Burger, RN. "Equally significant is the report's explanation that our country loses billions of dollars each year because of the current level of uninsurance and the consequent poor health and early death of so many people." ... New campaign to insure Americans Medical panel calls universal care crucial Victoria Colliver, San Francisco Chronicle, January 15, 2004 <http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/01/15/ BUG1M4A88R1.DTL> As a solution to the country's growing number of uninsured residents, an influential health advisory group urged the United States in a report released Wednesday to adopt universal health coverage by 2010. Health care advocates described the call for universal coverage as a bold move on the part of the independent Institute of Medicine, a prestigious panel of medical professionals and academics affiliated with the National Academy of Sciences that advises the federal government on public health policy. ... Universal health care sought Panel of scholars wants all Americans covered by 2010 Rob Stein, Washington Post, January 15, 2004 Washington - The United States must find a way to provide health care coverage to all Americans by the year 2010, the National Academy of Sciences recommended yesterday. Culminating the most detailed, authoritative examination of the pain and suffering caused by the uninsured in America, a scholarly committee of the academy's prestigious Institute of Medicine for the first time formally recommended that the United States guarantee health insurance for every citizen. ''The lack of health insurance for tens of millions of Americans has serious negative consequences and economic costs not only for the uninsured themselves but also for their families, the communities they live in, and the whole country,'' concluded the 16-member committee ... Retirees face pinch on benefits Costs surging; many firms halt programs Kimberly Blanton, Boston Globe, January 15, 2004 Companies are drastically increasing what their retired employees pay for healthcare benefits, and many are eliminating them altogether, according to a comprehensive study on employer provisions for retiree health coverage. The reduction in benefits in the past year alone has been huge. People who retired in 2003 pay 18 percent to 20 percent more for health coverage than did those who retired in 2002, according to a survey released yesterday by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and Hewitt Associates. For baby boomers approaching retirement, the outlook is more troubling. Ten percent of employers surveyed eliminated health plans last year for workers who will retire in the future, Kaiser said. ... Health data hint cuts may be made State officials say document uses outdated figures Stephen Smith, Boston Globe, January 15, 2004 Public health advocates yesterday released a document they say shows the state is weighing deep cuts in the budgets of such core medical initiatives as childhood immunizations and community health centers. The document is a spreadsheet prepared by the state Department of Public Health. A spokeswoman for the agency acknowledged its existence, but said it was just one of hundreds of such worksheets generated in recent months and was not an accurate or full portrayal of the Romney administration's plan for the public health budget. ... State halts cuts in aid for medical equipment Medicaid plan will be revised Brenda J. Buote, Boston Globe, January 15, 2004 Under intense pressure from healthcare advocates, Massachusetts health officials this week rescinded proposed cuts to the state's Medicaid program - cuts that would have made it impossible for many patients to obtain certain kinds of medical equipment. ''The division has rescinded its proposed amendments and will issue a revised proposal shortly,'' according to a notice posted on the state website for the Division of Health Care Policy and Finance, the agency that proposed the changes last month. State health officials expect to release the revised proposal next month. ... Skyrocketing health care costs Randy Johnson, Weymouth, The Patriot Ledger, January 16, 2004 <http://ledger.southofboston.com/articles/2004/01/16/opinion/opin03.txt> Health care spending now accounts for more than 15 percent of our economic output, the Department of Health and Human Services reports. Investment in our medical well-being increased 9.3 percent in 2002, and you can bet it jumped even more in 2003. We can't hold frontline care professionals responsible for this significant escalation, as they're not seeing (as employees or as self-employed) double-digit pay raises. ... Instead, the failing investment portfolios (prior to the present stock market run-up) of '02 and '03 are now being propped up by insurers and for-profit practices at the expense of premium payers. This is the same profit-driven system that our chief executive and his Republican congressional minions plan to inject further room for profit via the Medicare RX reform law. ... Mission Impossible Steve Bailey, Boston Globe, January 23, 2004 <http://www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2004/01/23/mission_impossible> Healthcare, the ultimate state budget-buster and our biggest industry, got almost no air time in (Massachusetts Republican governor) Mitt Romney's State of the State address last week. But think not that nothing is happening. To the contrary, the governor is thinking big. He is exploring a goal that has eluded many before him: health insurance coverage for every person in Massachusetts, a very Democratic-sounding theme. The questions are familiar. What would it look like? What would it cost? Who would pay? It is the answers to those familiar questions, now being quietly considered by a small group inside and outside the Republican Romney administration, that are already making people nervous, the state's already stretched-thin hospital industry very much included. ... Boston Medical loses $3.1m in '03, expects no relief in '04 Liz Kowalczyk, Boston Globe, January 23, 2004 Hurt by state budget cuts, Boston Medical Center barely broke even in the fiscal fourth quarter and lost $3.1 million on operations in the entire year. Hospital executives expect results to worsen in 2004. ''We don't see any relief coming forward this year,'' said chief financial officer Ronald Bartlett, who expects operating losses to grow to $15 million this year. The hospital lost $5 million in the fiscal first quarter of 2004, which ended in December. Bartlett said the hospital is undertaking a major analysis to see whether it will limit services and benefits to uninsured patients. Boston Medical already has adopted a very strict list of medications doctors can prescribe, almost always requiring physicians to give patients cheaper generic drugs rather than more expensive brand-name medications. The hospital also froze hiring and ended salary raises for senior management. The hospital, which treats many of the city's poor patients, lost money in fiscal 2003 because of state cuts to Medicaid coverage and mental health benefits. Also, the state ''free care pool,'' the fund that covers hospital care for the uninsured, had a shortfall. That meant there was less money to reimburse the medical center for treating the growing number of uninsured patients no longer covered by the state and federal Medicaid insurance program. ... The President's Agenda On health care, an election-year push Jennifer Loven, Associated Press, January 29, 2004 Washington - President Bush promoted yesterday his election-year plans to address rising health care costs, returning for the third time in a week to an issue that voters increasingly cite as a top concern. ... The ideas include: * Limiting medical malpractice awards. * Harnessing medical technology to prevent medical errors. * Offering refundable tax credits to help low-income Americans buy health insurance. * Helping small businesses band together - even across state lines - to buy coverage and negotiate for lower insurance rates. * Creating a tax deduction for the cost of premiums for high-deductible health care coverage, to encourage the use of health savings accounts that would let people save money for future medical expenses tax-free. Public health programs face slashing Alice Dembner, Boston Globe, January 29, 2004 The Romney administration plans to eliminate state funding for school nurses, sharply cut housing and food aid to the elderly and disabled, and trim Medicaid payments to hospitals and nursing homes in the coming year, as part of nearly $200 million in cuts and savings in the proposed Fiscal Year 2005 health and human services budget. The administration says the reductions are needed to preserve Medicaid, the health insurance program for the poor that will grow by $496 million, and the Prescription Advantage discount drug program for seniors. Overall, the budget for health and human services will grow 5 percent, but for the third year in a row public health programs will be slashed. ... Medicare HMO rates to fall 3 largest insurers in Mass. plan cuts, credit rising US fees Liz Kowalczyk, Boston Globe, January 29, 2004 <http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/029/business/Medicare_HMO_rates_to_fall+.sh tml> It's news senior citizens haven't heard in years: The state's three largest health insurers will significantly reduce premiums for seniors in their Medicare HMOs, in some cases by nearly 50 percent, providing some relief from four years of dramatic price increases. Executives decided to cut premiums after the federal government said it will pay an average of 10.6 percent more to health insurance companies that operate private Medicare HMOs, which have been losing customers. ... Private-Sector Solutions On Health Care Backed Bush Proposes Tax Credits, Tax-Free Savings Amy Goldstein, Washington Post, January 29, 2004 <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A58191-2004Jan28.html?referrer= email> President Bush yesterday sharpened his disagreement with Democratic presidential candidates over how to curb health care costs and help the 43 million Americans who lack insurance, saying the solutions lie in the private sector, not in expanded public programs. In a preview of his budget proposal next week and a reminder of the major changes to Medicare that he helped push through Congress last year, Bush asked lawmakers to create tax credits to help people buy health insurance if they cannot obtain coverage through their jobs. He also urged Americans to set up tax-free savings accounts for medical expenses, which are allowed under the new Medicare law. ... Gouging the Poor Barbara Ehrenreich, The Progressive, February 2004 <http://www.progressive.org/feb04/ehr0204.html> There's been a lot of whining about health care recently: the shocking cost of insurance, the mounting reluctance of employers to share that cost, the challenge - should you be so lucky as to have insurance - of finding a doctor your insurance company will deign to reimburse, and so forth. But let's look at the glass half full for a change. Despite the growing misfit between health care costs and personal incomes, it is not yet illegal to be sick. ... Bills seek wider health coverage Questions remain about how to extend medical insurance to part-time employees BJ Reyes, Associated Press, February 3, 2004 <http://starbulletin.com/2004/02/03/news/index4.html> While [Hawaii’s] Prepaid Health Care Act of 1974 guaranteed insurance for those employed full time, rising health care costs and the growing number of uninsured in Hawaii have lawmakers looking once again at ways to cover part-time workers. ... A bill before the House Labor and Health committees would set up the Hawaii Health Alliance, a government agency that would be responsible for providing health care, either directly or through contracts with insurers, for people not covered by their employers' plans. It is one of two House bills addressing Hawaii's uninsured population scheduled to be heard by the committees. The other would establish a state health authority to study the feasibility of a universal system and determine how such an entity would be formed and financed. ... Companies Limit Health Coverage of Many Retirees Milt Freudenheim, The New York Times, February 3, 2004 <http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/03/business/03CARE.html?th> Employers have unleashed a new wave of cutbacks in company-paid health benefits for retirees, with a growing number of companies saying that retirees can retain coverage only if they are willing to bear the full cost themselves. ... Experts expect that the trend, driven by the fast-rising cost of health care, will continue, despite the billions of dollars that the government will distribute to companies that maintain retiree health coverage when the new Medicare drug benefit begins in two years. ... Romney agrees his Medicaid cuts would have a ripple effect Alice Dembner, Boston Globe, February 5, 2004 <http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/036/metro/Romney_agrees_his_Medicaid_cuts_w ould_have_a_ripple_effect+.shtml> Governor Mitt Romney acknowledged yesterday that the cuts he has proposed in Medicaid payments to hospitals, pharmacies, and nursing homes would lead to higher private health insurance premiums and eventually cause more people to lose coverage. ''Like all states, we are under-reimbursing providers for their full cost of treating Medicaid patients,'' and they will pass on the cost to those with private insurance, Romney said, answering a question at a breakfast meeting of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. The number of uninsured in Massachusetts has risen to nearly 500,000, about 8 percent of the population, and the proposed Medicaid cuts of $150 million for fiscal 2005 have drawn harsh criticism from health care providers and advocates. ... Insurers criticize universal health care Kaiser and HMSA say a legislative plan fails to account for costs BJ Reyes, Associated Press, February 5, 2004 <http://starbulletin.com/2004/02/05/news/index9.html> A proposal to establish universal health care in Hawaii is flawed because it does not take into account market forces that drive up the cost of health care, the state's two largest health insurers told lawmakers. Cutting-edge technology, the newest prescription drugs, the cost of lawsuits, the growing elderly population and more people going to the doctor than ever before all contribute to the high cost of health premiums, representatives from Kaiser Permanente and the Hawaii Medical Service Association said Tuesday. ... Caritas Christi earns $3 million in 2003 Liz Kowalczyk, Boston Globe, February 6, 2004 <http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/037/business/Caritas_Christi_earns_3_millio n_in_2003+.shtml> Caritas Christi Health System, the large Catholic hospital network, turned around an operating loss to earn $3 million in the year ended Sept. 30, in part because of a one-time late-year $11 million payment from the state Medicaid program to compensate the system for treating a large number of poor patients. Caritas, a hospital and physician organization led by Caritas St. Elizabeth's Medical Center in Brighton, posted 2003 revenue of $1 billion, up from $923 million a year earlier. The hospital system posted net income of $1.6 million in 2003. The network had an operating loss of $15.9 million in 2002 and a net loss of $8.6 million. ... Doctor supports single-payer plan Barbara Newman, MD, San Francisco, San Francisco Chronicle, February 8, 2004 <http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/02/08/ BUGCI4R1K61.DTL> ... As an emergency physician, I am seeing more and more patients with emergencies which could have been prevented by regular doctor visits, impossible because so many working people have no insurance. I am angered by the high salaries of HMO and pharmaceutical CEOs, as well as the HMO administrative costs, all of which siphon off money that could go to actual health care and medicines for people. I am a supporter of SB921 and am working to enlighten my colleagues about the need for universal single-payer health care financing. ... Preventative care going by wayside Julia Buss, RN, San Francisco, San Francisco Chronicle, February 8, 2004 <http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/02/08/ BUGCI4R1K61.DTL> ... As a nation we spend more on health care than either Britain or Canada, yet the amount we spend does not correspond to better health benefits for Americans. I am a nurse, and many times I have cared for individuals without insurance whose serious illnesses could easily have been prevented with regular checkups. People without insurance often cannot afford preventative care, and they are constantly vulnerable to financial ruin should a health problem occur. ... Most Physicians Endorse Single-Payer National Health Insurance Physicians for a National Health Program, February 9, 2004 <http://www.pnhp.org/news/2004/february/most_physicians_endo.php> Nearly two-thirds (64%) of [Massachusetts] physicians favor single-payer national health insurance, far more than support managed care (10%) or fee-for-service care (26%) according to a Harvard Medical School study published today in the Archives of Internal Medicine. National health insurance (NHI) received majority support from physicians of virtually every age, gender and medical specialty - even among surgeons, a plurality supported NHI. The breadth of physician support for NHI was highlighted by the fact that even most members of the American Medical Association and the Massachusetts Medical Society favor the single payer approach. ... Doctors support national insurance 63% in Mass. survey back single-payer care Liz Kowalczyk, Boston Globe, February 10, 2994 <http://www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2004/02/10/doctors_support_nati onal_insurance> A majority of Massachusetts doctors support national health insurance, and most said they would be willing to accept a 10 percent cut in fees in return for less paperwork, according to a new study about physicians' attitudes toward health insurance. While the four physicians who conducted the survey - all of whom are affiliated with Harvard Medical School - are members of a nonprofit organization that has long pushed for universal health coverage, their results were published today in a respected medical journal, the Archives of Internal Medicine. ... Poll: Docs would opt for national health care Jennifer Heldt Powell, Boston Herald, February 10, 2004 <http://business.bostonherald.com/businessNews/business.bg?articleid=1570> Nearly two-thirds of Bay State doctors favor turning the health care system over to the government (sic), a survey released yesterday indicates. Doctors also said they would be willing to take a cut in pay in exchange for less paperwork, according to the survey by Harvard University doctors published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. ... Why Canadians are healthier Judy Foreman, Boston Globe, February 10, 2004 <http://www.boston.com/news/globe/health_science/articles/2004/02/10/why_canad ians_are_healthier> ... An impressive array of comparative data shows that Canadians live longer and healthier lives than we do. What's more, they pay roughly half as much per capita as we do - $2,163 versus $4,887 in 2001 - for the privilege. Exactly why Canadians fare better is the subject of considerable academic debate. Some policy wonks say it's Canada's single-payer, universal health coverage system. Others point to Canadians' different ethnic mix. Some think it's because they use fewer illegal drugs and shoot each other less with guns, though they do smoke and drink with gusto. Still others think Canadians are healthier because their medical system is tilted more toward primary-care doctors and less toward specialists. And some believe it's something more fundamental - a smaller gap between rich and poor. Perhaps it's all of the above. ... Nurses union targets health care critic Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, February 11, 2004 <http://vancouver.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=bc_doctor20040211> Vancouver - The BC Nurses Union is demanding the recall of an outspoken doctor appointed to the new Health Council of Canada. The union wants Royal Columbian hospital emergency room physician Les Vertesi removed from the council – a group set up to monitor health care spending. Vertesi is known for his critical views of the current health care system – and published a book last year called "Broken Promises," detailing his criticism of the current health care system. In the book, Dr. Vertesi compares financial structure of Canadian health care to that of the former Soviet Union. BCNU vice president Pat Shuttleworth says that should disqualify the ER doctor. ... Shuttleworth also questions how Vertesi was appointed, noting he's the brother-in-law of Premier Gordon Campbell. ... AFL-CIO wants health care to be a right in Minnesota Michael Kuchta, Union Advocate, February 12, 2004 <http://www.workdayminnesota.org/view_article.php?id=41a6f5515f0aa231f185ccc37 a714e8c> St. Paul - Basic, affordable health care ought to be a right guaranteed to every resident of Minnesota, the state AFL-CIO says. To turn that concept into reality, the state’s largest labor organization is proposing an amendment to the Minnesota Constitution. The AFL-CIO is urging the Legislature to approve the amendment during the current session, in time for the issue to go to voters on the November ballot. Health care is the state’s No. 1 issue, Minnesota AFL-CIO president Ray Waldron said at a Capitol news conference Thursday. Rather than expanding health coverage, the state is using budget cuts as an excuse to actually reduce access to health care for needy citizens. In both the public and private sectors, employers are hammering workers, Waldron said, either reducing or eliminating insurance or forcing workers to pay more for the coverage they’ve got. ... Universal care proposals inch forward in House BJ Reyes, Associated Press, February 12, 2004 <http://starbulletin.com/2004/02/12/business/index4.html> Hawaii inched closer to a system of universal health care under a pair of bills advanced by House lawmakers on Tuesday. The proposals - one to provide health insurance for part-time workers and the other to establish a state agency to come up with a universal care system - still face hearings before two House committees, approval by the full chamber and approval from the Senate. ... The proposal to provide health care for part-time workers was introduced by House Labor Chairman Marcus Oshiro, D-Wahiawa-Poamoho. It would create a state agency of volunteer care providers and insurance companies that would offer medical coverage for part-time workers not covered by the state's landmark Prepaid Health Care Act of 1974. ... The proposal is patterned after a program in Maine that was passed last year. The Dirigo Health program is expected to sign its first enrollees this summer. ... The committees also advanced a universal care proposal sponsored by Health Chairman Dennis Arakaki, D-Alewa Heights-Kalihi. That bill would establish the State Health Authority to bring together all state funded health programs to determine how best to serve Hawaii's uninsured population. It also would be tasked with coming up with a funding mechanism for carrying out its mission. ... Health cost issues not going away The sticking point in the cement strike is common across many industries. Talks resume today. Lyn Danninger, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, February 13, 2004 <http://starbulletin.com/2004/02/13/business/index2.html> At the heart of the dispute between local concrete workers and their employers, Ameron Hawaii and Hawaiian Cement, is a struggle over health care benefits and costs. The tussle over who pays and how much is not new, even in Hawaii. Retiree health care benefits and greater cost sharing also were issues in the 2002 nurses' strike. In California, the debate has been front and center in an impasse between the United Food and Commercial Workers Union and three national grocery chains. Employers there have argued that unless they can decrease health care costs, they can not compete with low-wage big box stores like Wal-Mart. ... The Health Of Grocers, Workers Strike, Union Negotiations Highlight Changing Industry Michael Barbaro & Neil Irwin, Washington Post, February 17, 2004 <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A46553-2004Feb16.html> In a conference room in Ocean City, Md., almost two years ago, the heads of the nation's four largest grocery chains delivered a stern message to officials of the biggest food workers' union. Grocery workers will have to sacrifice some of their generous wages (sic) and health benefits, the executives said, if their employers - Royal Ahold NV, Safeway Inc., Kroger Co. and Albertson's Inc. - are to have any hope of competing with Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and other low-cost rivals. ... The Health of Nations Paul Krugman, New York Times, February 17, 2004 <http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/17/opinion/17KRUG.html?ex=1078043425&ei=1&en=9 4d547f5f8c19e31> The Economic Report of the President, released last week, has drawn criticism on several fronts. Let me open a new one: the report's discussion of health care, which shows a remarkable indifference to the concerns of ordinary Americans - and suggests a major political opening for the Democrats. According to a recent Gallup poll, 82 percent of Americans rank health care among their top issues. People are happy with the quality of health care, if they can afford it, but they're afraid that they might not be able to afford it. Unlike other wealthy countries, America doesn't have universal health insurance, and it's all too easy to fall through the cracks in our system. ... State plans to rank health care to cut its costs Jennifer Heldt Powell, Boston Herald, February 17, 2004 <http://business.bostonherald.com/businessNews/business.bg?articleid=1656> Members of the state Group Insurance Commission got their first look Friday at proposals from insurers that could radically change how state employees and retirees choose their doctors. In an attempt to cut costs and improve quality, the state's health insurance buying agency asked insurers to propose ways to rank doctors according to outcomes. Depending on the final plan, patients might pay less to see better doctors, or higher-ranking doctors might get bonus payments. ... Romney's prescription for the poor Tom Delbanco, MD, Boston Globe, February 18, 2004 <http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/049/oped/Romney_s_prescription_for_the_poor +.shtml> My patient for almost 30 years, Ms. G (not her real initial) has had heart surgery, kidney stones, and back pain, compounded by family problems leading to severe depression. At her appointment last week, she and I continued to wrestle with unexplained abdominal pain and a complicated medical regimen, including essential but potentially dangerous drugs. A brave and determined person, Ms. G has worked hard when well, but she can't handle a job these days and is on Medicaid. Now I read that Governor Romney wants to expel Ms. G from my primary care practice at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. ... CalPERS could drop 15 Sutter hospitals Lisa Rapaport, Sacramento Bee, February 19, 2004 <http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/story/8291741p-9222126c.html> The California Public Employees' Retirement System jolted the health care industry Wednesday with a plan to save about $72 million in medical premiums by dropping coverage for government workers and retirees at 45 of the state's most expensive hospitals. Most of the savings - about $53 million - would result from CalPERS ending coverage for 15 hospitals owned by Sacramento-based Sutter Health. ... Kahuku rallies to save hospital Eloise Aguiar, Honolulu Advertiser, February 20, 2004 <http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2004/Feb/20/ln/ln11a.html> Kahuku - Area residents last night said they will take steps to try to help Kahuku Hospital become more financially stable after officials said its debt may force it to cut services or even close. Kahuku Hospital is the only critical-access medical facility between Kane'ohe and Wahiawa. ... During a meeting of the Kahuku Community Association, hospital supporters were urged to write to state legislators to ask them to approve the facility's request for a $1.2 million grant from the state, up from last year's request of $750,000. ... Shifts eyed in Massachusetts on care for uninsured Liz Kowalczyk, Boston Globe, February 21, 2004 <http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2004/02/21/shifts_eyed_in_mass_on_car e_for_uninsured> The Romney administration wants to overhaul the state's generous program for providing medical care to the uninsured, including shifting patients from hospitals to less-expensive community health centers and eliminating free medical care altogether to residents who arrive from other states. The "free care program," which last year paid $565 million for medical care for more than 400,000 uninsured patients, has pitted hospital against hospital, draining the finances of some, while benefiting those that treat large numbers of poor patients. ... Day 133 on the UFCW Picket Lines in Southern California Shannon D. Donato, Friends of Labor, February 21, 2004 <http://www.friendsoflabor.com> Since October 11, 2003, 21,000 members have been on strike against Safeway/Vons and 49,000 were locked out the following day by Albertsons and Kroger/Ralphs in a corporate agreement to gut the healthcare and pension packages of the 70,000 members working in stores from Bakersfield to Baja. In a coordinated effort with the AFL-CIO to send the message straight to Safeway CEO Steven Burd, the community in four areas of Los Angeles and Orange County chose to sit down in the entrances of VONS markets and shut down his stores. Singing "let it shine" and "scabs go home" at the sit in, supporters in San Pedro, Santa Monica, Los Angeles and Mission Viejo were very clear that the community supports the UFCW and its right to work under a fair contract that provides a decent part time income and a reasonable healthcare package for its members and their families. The idea of healthcare for working families is no longer just an issue for the UFCW. ... Partners posts $25.2M Q1 gain Jennifer Heldt Powell, Boston Herald, February 21, 2004 <http://business.bostonherald.com/businessNews/business.bg?articleid=1720> The state's largest hospital system yesterday reported a first-quarter gain on financial operations of $25.2 million, driven in part by a bad flu season and market gains. Partners Health Care System Inc., parent of Massachusetts General and Brigham and Women's hospitals, reported that patient volume for the quarter ending in December was up nearly 4 percent. The $25.2 million gain, on revenue of $1.2 billion, compares with $6.2 million on revenue, of $1.1 billion a year ago. With investments, donations and royalties, the systems' net gain for the quarter was $74 million, compared with a $1 million loss in the previous year. ... Cost up, but worker plans stay Health care tax breaks called flawed Jennifer Heldt Powell, Boston Herald, February 25, 2004 <http://business.bostonherald.com/businessNews/business.bg?articleid=1762> A tax exemption on health care benefits provided by employers costs the federal and state governments more than $200 billion a year and encourages higher health care spending, according to a report to be released today. Taxing such benefits and using the money to fund health insurance credits instead could enable more people to buy coverage and cut costs, the Lewin Group suggests in its Health Affairs report. "There's a limit to what you get in a tax credit, which creates an incentive to start thinking about cheaper health plans," said John Sheils, a Lewin vice president. People likely would buy less-expensive plans with higher deductibles, he said. The report was done to evaluate tax policy changes that have been promoted by the Heritage Foundation and others, Sheils said. ... Deleting the truth on health care Derrick Z. Jackson, Boston Globe, February 25, 2004 <http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2004/02/25/d eleting_the_truth_on_health_care> In July of 2002, Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson told the National Conference of La Raza, "I want to discuss some of the things that have the most direct bearing on the health and well-being of Hispanic men, women, and children. First is the issue of disparities in health and treatment." In September of 2002, Thompson said, "Communities of color suffer disproportionately from diabetes, heart disease, HIV/AIDS, cancer, stroke, and infant mortality. Eliminating these and other health disparities is a priority of HHS." In April of 2003, Thompson said, "I believe the health problems that plague minority communities must be faced, and we must tear down the barriers." On the January holiday for Martin Luther King Jr., Thompson said, "Part of racial equality is health equality." For all of those lofty speeches, Thompson momentarily sank to the gutters of the Bush administration. In December, HHS published a final draft of a national report on health care disparities. But The Washington Post discovered just before the King holiday that the final version was so rosy it amounted to a virtual censoring of the draft report. ... To Trim Deficit, Greenspan Urges Social Security and Medicare Cuts Edmund L. Andrews, New York Times, February 26, 2004 <http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/26/business/26FED.html?th> Washington - Alan Greenspan, the Federal Reserve chairman, told lawmakers on Wednesday that Congress should rein in the federal deficit through reductions in spending - including cuts in entitlement programs like Social Security - rather than through tax increases. "The crucial issue out here is the rate of growth of productivity and the rate of growth of the economy, and what history does tell us is that keeping tax rates down will tend to maximize that," Mr. Greenspan told members of the House Budget Committee. That was music to the ears of President Bush and many Republicans, who want to extend permanently more than $1.7 trillion worth of tax cuts even as they face a deficit that could exceed $500 billion this year. But Mr. Greenspan touched off a furor by calling on Congress to trim Social Security and Medicare benefits in the future, provoking criticism from Democrats and causing heartburn among some Republicans. ... Supermarkets, Union Reach Tentative Pact Charlie LeDuff & Steven Greenhouse, New York Times, February 27, 2004 <http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/27/national/27GROC.html?th> Los Angeles - Supermarket executives and union leaders involved in a four-and-a-half month-old labor dispute in Southern California reached a tentative agreement last night after 16 days of intense bargaining, union leaders said. Officials with the United Food and Commercial Workers Union and with California's three largest grocery chains reached the deal which is expected to end a dispute involving 59,000 striking or locked-out workers at 852 supermarkets. ... UFCW International President's Statement Doug Dority, theBakersfieldchannel.com, February 27, 2004 <http://www.thebakersfieldchannel.com/news/2881620/detail.html> Today, I am pleased to join with the officers of the seven Southern California UFCW local unions in their announcement of a tentative agreement in the longest major strike in the history of the UFCW, the largest and longest strike in the history of the supermarket industry, and the first major strike of the 21st century. It is also one of the most successful strikes in history. After five months, the picket lines remain strong, our members remain united, and customers continue to honor the workers' picket lines costing the supermarket conglomerates billions of dollars in revenue. Every day, support for the fight for affordable health care grows stronger. Community and religious leaders have put their bodies on the line in acts of civil disobedience. ... The men and women on the picket lines are genuine heroes. Their sacrifice for affordable family health care has motivated and activated workers across the nation. ... Insurer tightening use of imaging tests Liz Kowalczyk, Boston Globe, February 27, 2004 <http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/058/metro/Insurer_tightening_use_of_imaging _tests+.shtml> Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, one of the state's largest health insurers, said doctors are ordering so many MRIs, CT scans, and other expensive imaging tests that it is returning to a traditional style of managed care to control these soaring costs. At Harvard Pilgrim, as at many health plans, radiology costs are growing faster than the cost of prescription drugs, which for years were the most explosive portion of medical budgets. ... Blue Cross posts record earnings Mixed picture at Tufts Health, Harvard Pilgrim Liz Kowalczyk, Boston Globe, February 28, 2004 <http://www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2004/02/28/blue_cross_posts_rec ord_earnings> Buoyed by a strong fourth quarter, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts earned record profits last year, while the health insurer's two largest competitors also posted profits. Blue Cross nearly tripled its operating profit in the fourth quarter to $97.7 million from $37 million a year earlier. For the year, operating profit surged 69 percent to $215 million from $127 million in 2002. Net income climbed to $104.7 million in the fourth quarter from $19.5 million a year earlier. Revenue edged up to $1.1 billion in the quarter. ... Health insurance needs an overhaul Randall Sexton, RN, Kapolei, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, February 28, 2004 <http://starbulletin.com/2004/02/28/editorial/indexletters.html> Many employees are unhappy with their health benefits as employers struggle to remain competitive. Employer-based insurance resulted from wage controls during the economic constraints of World War II. Since employers could not raise wages, they gave workers health insurance. Employers often use insurance as a recruiting and retention tool during worker shortages. Unfortunately, employees now regard health benefits as a "given" and may get locked into their jobs, especially if they or a family member has a chronic illness. Employer-based health insurance also puts businesses at a disadvantage. One reason foreign corporations have lower production costs is because their employees' health insurance is paid for outside the corporation. Universal health insurance would level the playing field for business. ... Funds released; health care foundation is ready to give Resolution frees up $46.3m for grants Benjamin Gedan, Boston Globe, February 29, 2004 <http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/060/west/Funds_released_health_care_foundat ion_is_ready_to_give+.shtml> After sustaining debilitating cuts in state aid, health care providers in the region are facing an unexpected challenge: devising ways to use a sudden windfall. The Framingham-based MetroWest Community Health Care Foundation was expected to receive $46.3 million late last week - the hotly disputed proceeds from the 1996 and 2003 sale of shares in MetroWest Medical Center. ... Editorial Comment: Here are two new resources - to monitor and analyze the crisis and to get involved in the solution: The Health Care Problems Archive <http://www.healthcareproblems.org> Everybody In, Nobody Out <http://www.everybodyinnobodyout.org> Web Directory: AARN <http://www.aarn.org> Australian Nursing Federation <http://www.anf.org.au> California Nurses Association <http://www.calnurse.org> Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions <http://www.nursesunions.ca> CCDS <http://www.cc-ds.org> Committee for Health Care for Massachusetts <http://www.healthcareformass.org> Irish Nurses Organisation <http://www.ino.ie> Labor Party <http://www.thelaborparty.org> LabourStart <http://www.labourstart.org> Maine State Nurses Association <http://www.mainenurse.org> Massachusetts Ad Hoc Committee <http://www.MassDefendHealthCare.org> Massachusetts Green-Rainbow Party <http://www.green-rainbow.org> Massachusetts Nurses Association <http://www.massnurses.org> MASS-CARE <http://www.masscare.org> New York Professional Nurses Union <http://www.nypnu.org> New Zealand Nurses Organisation <http://www.nzno.org.nz> PASNAP <http://www.pennanurses.org> PNHP <http://www.pnhp.org> Québec Nurses’ Federation <http://www.fiiq.qc.ca> Revolution Magazine <http://www.revolutionmag.com> Saint Louis Area Nurses Coalition <http://www.slanc.org> Seachange Bulletin <http://www.seachangebulletin.org> Southern Arizona Nurses Coalition <http://SAZNC.homestead.com> Union Web Services <http://www.unionwebservices.com> Women’s Universal Health Initiative <http://www.WUHI.org> FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. I am making such material available in an effort to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. I believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 US Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: <http://www.law.cornell.edu/asked/17/107.shtml>. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. |