EVERYBODY IN, NOBODY OUT!
OUR MISSION IS TO BRING EQUITABLE, AFFORDABLE, COMPREHENSIVE, HIGH-QUALITY, PUBLICLY FUNDED HEALTH CARE TO EVERYONE IN OREGON AND THE UNITED STATES.
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The best emergency response to health care needs during this pandemic is the Health Care Emergency Guarantee Act (HCEGA). Please help us build support for this - more information about how you can help can be found here.
The Covid-19 pandemic has made it clear that the health of individuals is connected to the health of everyone in their community, and that connecting health insurance to employment is not effective, Especially when tens of millions are losing their job. Dr. Philip Verhoef, an ICU doctor in Hawaii, describes, in this short video, why we need improved Medicare for all.
We should have already had improved Medicare for All (see also this video). The next best thing is an emergency bill that would ensure every U.S. resident has no financial barriers to healthcare during this pandemic. Rep. Pramila Jayapal has introduced H.R. 6906 and Sen. Bernie Sanders has introduced the companion S. 3790 in the Senate. We have gotten Sen. Merkley and Reps. Bonamici, DeFazio, and Blumenauer to be cosponsors. At this time, pushing congress to pass this bill is perhaps the most important task for single payer activists.
See a press release from Sanders and Jayapal about this bill here.
See an article by the Labor Campaign for Single Payer (about Why paying for COBRA is not enough, improved Medicare for All is what we need, but this bill can help a lot) here.
See what National Nurses United says in support of HCEGA here.
See what Physicians for a National Health Plan (PNHP) says in support of HCEGA here.
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To include everyone in the U.S. in a decent system will take an Act of Congress.
To include everyone in Oregon will require either passing a ballot measure, or defending on the ballot a bill that is passed in the legislature.
HCAO-ACTION IS A LEADer in THE FIGHT TO Move towards a single payer system in Oregon, and IS JOINING THE FIGHT FOR IMPROVED MEDICARE FOR ALL AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
For a short video on why improved Medicare for All will be good for us, see Harvey & Laverne & Medicare for All
SB 770
We were instrumental in the effort to write and pass SB 770 in the Oregon 2019 legislative session. The bill establishes a task force to make legislative recommendations regarding a single payer system in Oregon. To learn more about SB 770 -
The National Single Payer Strategy Conference was held in Portland this year. For information about what the conference was about, click here
National Single Payer Strategy Conference
One of the clearest depictions of why we need to do something about the U.S. health care system is the graph below of life expectancy vs. health care expenditures from 1970 to 2014 in various countries.
To succeed in implementing an equitable, affordable, universal system, we'll need:
1. Volunteers
2. supporters
3. A campaign Team
That’s Where You Come In
OUR GOAL
Our work is to bring about equitable, affordable, comprehensive, high quality, publicly-funded health care to everyone in Oregon and the United States. Toward this end, Health Care for All Oregon-Action, a 501c(4), and partner Health Care for All Oregon, a 501c(3), are established to flexibly foster grassroots activism, legislative advocacy, and community education programs.
Take Action
Ready to take the next step? You can become an HCAO-Action member or volunteer, sign a statement of support, or contact your legislators.