In recent months the health care debate has reached a fevered pitch as all sides clamber to be heard. This debate has centered around two options: the plan proposed by Obama which may, or may not, include a public option but maintains a system of for-profit insurance, or the continuation of the status quo with, perhaps, some “tort reform” and an unclear notion of developing greater competition within the for-profit insurance sector to drive down prices. Minor reforms or the unseen hand of the market? Myths that should have been shattered by the recent economic crisis are alive and well in the debate about health care reform.
Missing from this debate are the millions of us who support a single-payer system. The cost effective and truly humane plan proposed in House Resolution 676 for a National Health Insurance Program, now faces the possibility of being reduced to a footnote in the history of the early twenty-first century healthcare debate. So, what is to be done? My recent trip to a health care themed “town hall” meeting attended by about 250 people in New York State’s 20th district, represented by Scott Murphy (D), provide some answers to this question.
Most of us have by now seen media coverage of these “town hall” meetings: Elected officials make a case for Obamacare, right-wing protestors carry signs denouncing Obama as a socialist and make wild claims about the dictatorial hell “government healthcare” will usher in. Those in support of the president’s as yet unclear plan shout back and carry their own signs. Blows are occasionally exchanged. Single-payer advocates are rarely heard from.
At the town hall meeting I attended, I was surprised to see that the media’s coverage of these events was fairly accurate. One protestor’s sign alluded to the 1973 movie Soylent Green by suggesting that a government run plan might create a dystopian nightmare where patients stand in front of “Obama’s death panel” (as former governor Sarah Palin recently described it) waiting to be judged worthy of scarce, rationed health care. When the town hall was opened to Q&A, right supporters offered an ample serving of this fear-mongering and misinformation.
When I had my chance to speak, I thanked the members of the military, firefighters, and police officers who had spoken (pause, wild applause from the right) – for being living testaments to the success of public services and government-run institutions (laughter and applause from the left and confused silence from the right). I then told my own story — of both of my parents passing away in the past four years, of being told their insurance had run out even after decades of working for the state, that they were denied needed care because of an inability to pay, and that this amounted to rationing health care — rationed based on those who can and cannot afford it. The feared nightmare, I said, is already here.
I asked Congressman Murphy why, despite the support of tens of millions of Americans, a single-payer option was not being discussed as a real alternative to the present system. Several members of the crowd applauded, expressing their agreement, but most were silent. In Congressman Murphy’s reply, he claimed that he had not heard much support from within his district for a single-payer system and had a responsibility to reflect the wishes of his constituents.
The near silence from a crowd of approximately 250 people when I mentioned single-payer left me a bit confused. This crowd had been extremely vocal for over an hour, interrupting Congressman Murphy and nearly every speaker to interject their opinions either for or against the Obama plan. Why were there so few cries in support of single-payer and, even more strangely, why was the right-wing eerily silent when I suggested a plan that would bring us even closer to real socialism? Second, I think Congressman Murphy might have been correct: single-payer advocates have not been vocal enough in making their position known. This is not helped by others on the left who have abandoned hope for single-payer and instead support Obama’s plan because they see single-payer as an impossibility in corporate dominated America. The “lesser of two evils” mentality has apparently migrated from the ballot box to the health care debate.
After asking my questions, I moved around the crowd a bit, striking up conversations with the handful of single-payer advocates as well as Obamacare supporters. It turned out that few of the Obamacare advocates I spoke with had even heard of HR 676, but were very interested to learn more. It became apparent that the near silence I experienced after asking Congressman Murphy about single-payer was attributable to the fact that few there had even heard of HR 676. Most, it seems, had no idea what I was talking about. Congressman Murphy’s claim that few in his district had brought up single-payer started to become more believable. So, where does that leave us?
Fueled by half-truths and outright lies thousands of right wing meet-up groups are springing up around the country, inspired by Glenn Beck and other so called “patriot” pundits. These are the people at the town hall meetings parroting the slogans of fear and divisiveness. Their strategy is working, their numbers are growing, and partly because of their influence the debate over healthcare is not moving beyond the two options mentioned at the beginning of this article.
If we advocates of single-payer have any chance at winning real change, or at least having our voices heard in this debate, we need to act quickly, act firmly, and act collectively to educate the public and make our voices heard. Some basic ideas came to mind as a result of my trip to a town hall meeting.
We should not assume that most people understand what single-payer means, or know that it even exists as an option. Always be willing and able to explain the benefits of HR 676, in comparison to the false options of the other proposals. Flyers with basic information on single-payer can be placed at local establishments such as coffee shops, bars or wherever people gather. We should use the media exposure to our advantage.
Let’s start seriously putting the screws to elected representatives. We should contact them to present single-payer as a viable option. If they reject this, we can escalate the pressure. Either way, the time to act is now!
Of course, we cannot go it alone in this struggle. Consider getting involved with organizations that advocate for single-payer, like the Socialist Party-USA or Healthcare-NOW. History shows that there is power in numbers.
We must always remain in motion. Get active and organize locally to protest, petition, and gain support.
Time is running out. We must act quickly and decisively if our voice is to be heard.