Nat'l Physicians Group: Obama Should Push For Medicare for All:

[amborin]

http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2010/01/22-7

Obama Should Seize Moment to Push for Medicare for All, Doctors' Group Says
Dr. Quentin Young comments on Massachusetts election, next steps for health reform

- January 22 - A spokesman for a national physicians' group says it would be a mistake for President Obama to conclude from Tuesday's vote in Massachusetts that he needs to "tack more toward the right," as some pundits have advised, or to aim for a scaled-back set of piecemeal reforms.

Instead, the spokesman says, the president and Congress should immediately move to expand the popular Medicare program to cover everyone.

"President Obama and Congress should seize this moment to change course and re-inspire the U.S. public with a plan that is simple, clear, workable, fiscally responsible, comprehensive and truly universal -- namely, single-payer Medicare for All," said Dr. Quentin Young, national coordinator of Physicians for a National Health Program.

Young dismissed suggestions by some that the House should adopt the Senate bill as it presently reads, send it to the president's desk, and have Congress improve upon it later. "The Senate bill is rotten," he said. "It's a huge financial handout to the for-profit insurers and big drug companies. If passed, it will still leave at least 20 million uninsured and millions more unable to afford the care they need.

snip


"Nationwide," he said, "polls show about two-thirds of the U.S. population would favor a Medicare-for-All approach, and a solid majority of physicians now support efforts to establish national health insurance."

[doc03]

1. Didn't Lieberman kill that one n/t

[Edweird]

2. Yes he can. Yes he should. No, he probably won't.

The senate bill = "I'm getting 95% of what I want". The senate bill can be distilled down to two words: 'fuck you'.

[Historic NY]

3. Exactly.

[treestar]

4. They could try Congress

That would be more useful.

[leftstreet]

5. K&R