Health Beat Readers: Let’s Get Involved, Let Washington Know What We Think

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                           This Thursday, December 18 in New York

 

 

Let’s take blogging and reading blogs to another level: let’s try to translate it into communicating with our government.

 

 President-Elect Obama and Senator Tom Daschle, the new administration’s point-man on health care reform, say that they want healthcare reform that comes “from the ground up.” This is why they are asking Americans to “give us your ideas and input” during this holiday season.

  

Here is the invitation from the Office of the President-Elect  “Sign up to lead a Health Care Community Discussion in your home, community center, or even a local coffee shop, anytime from December 15th to 31st. (http://change.gov/page/s/hcdiscussion) Senator Tom Daschle, the leader of the Transition's Health Policy Team, will choose some discussions to attend in person.”  

 

 I’m hoping that HealthBeat readers of all political persuasions in cities around the country will decide to step up to the challenge. If you’re interested in hosting a discussion, sign up at (http://change.gov/page/s/hcdiscussion     and e-mail me at Mahar@tcf.org.  I’ll post your invitation here on HealthBeat so that people in your area can attend. (When you sign up at change.gov, you might want to let them know you’re a HealthBeat reader, and part of the HealthBeat Network.)

 

NYC HealthBeat reader Dr. Brad Flansbaum at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan already has decided to host a conference at Lenox Hill this Thursday, December 18, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

 

I’ll  be there, and Brad and I will put our heads together to create a few bullet points for the discussion. But we’re counting on you to drive the conversation. 

The incoming administration has signaled that it is very interested in hearing from informed constituents. Our opinion WILL make a difference.

 

 Here’s Brad’s invitation to everyone in the NYC area:

 

 

Hi All,


President-elect Obama has made it clear that health care reform is one of his top priorities. That's why the Obama-Biden Transition is asking people to give their own thoughts and ideas for how to fix the system at Health Care Community Discussions all across the country.

We have arranged to host a Community Discussion, and we want your voice heard.  Here are the details:

Date and time: Thursday, 12/18 at 6:30 to 8:30.
Location: 130 Black Hall, ER entrance, SW corner of Lexington and E. 77th Street, and follow signs to Weisner Conference Center.

[BEF1] 
Hope you can make it.”

*****************************************************************

 

Please let me know if you’re interested in attending the NYC event by e-mailing me at mahar@tcf.org. (We’re just trying to get an idea of how many people will be coming.)

 

If  you’re in another city and want to host a discussion, send your invitation to the same address—mahar@tcf.org so that I can post it on HealthBeat.  Just remember, you have to host the discussion sometime between December 15  and December 31.

 

 

 

4 thoughts on “Health Beat Readers: Let’s Get Involved, Let Washington Know What We Think”

  1. And be sure to push HR 676, single payer, Medicare for all at all of these house parties.
    It IS politically feasible. Canada made the switch from for-profit insurance to Medicare for all, so did Australia. We can too.

  2. Thanks to Maggie for opening up this blog to those who want to give input to Obama’s health care team. I urge all supporters of HR 676, the single payer solution, to make their views known. Sadly, despite a clarion call for open dialogue and citizen involvement, Tom Daschle and Sen. Baucus have not welcomed single payer advocates to the health reform round table. Rather, these two savvy politicians have come forward with an agenda already carved in stone. They hope to guide community discussions towards approval of their “public-private” mixed plan which protects high-profit insurers. The grassroots is not so easily duped. If we want a humane, equitable and cost-effective system, we must remove the private insurers. Otherwise, we will be locked into the HMO two-step–one step forward, two steps back. Tell the President-Elect, Sen. Baucus, and Mr. Daschle, that you want a truly American system–a single payer system, taxpayer-funded and run by “we the people.”

  4. A Community Forum on National Healthcare Priorities will be held at the Queens County Medical Society on Tues. Dec 23 at 7pm in Forest Hills.
    Call (718) 268 – 7300 for details.

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