The California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee and our allies at the Leadership Conference on Guaranteed Healthcare are debuting a new feature: The Healthcare Heroes Caucus, which will honor candidates who are running on a platform of supporting HR 676, John Conyers' bill for an expanded and improved Medicare for All.
We will highlight the stories of these healthcare heroes, and work to get them the attention and support they need. It's not always easy to run in the face of insurance companies and a sold-out political culture...but it is smart. Poll after poll shows the American people are open to an expanded and improved Medicare for All, and are desperate for the kind of solutions that will improve care while saving money.
Debbie Cook is our first Healthcare Hero candidate and she's a great one. She is a committed progressive running in a district that is ready to toss out Bob Dornan Dana Rohrbacher and elect a real leader.
But during her Congressional campaign, she hears over and over again from citizens struggling with healthcare costs that are too high or the lack of any health insurance coverage or even those who are forced into bankruptcy. "I think other countries might look at us as a Third World country when it comes to what happens to so many Americans faced with healthcare expenses they cannot afford." She went to say that huge insurance industry profits often come before getting patients the care they may need.
It's no wonder Debbie hears about healthcare issue out on the campaign trail. California ranks number one in the nation with the number of people uninsured well over 6.5 million and the number of citizens struggling with "underinsurance" rated nearly as high. Efforts by State Senator Sheila Kuehl to pass SB840, state single payer legislation, have been thwarted by the governor's pen, not a lack of political support from citizens and healthcare professionals who know just how bad things are for so many Californians.
"Healthcare decisions need to be made by patients and their doctors, not by insurance companies," Debbie said when asked how much influence insurance companies should have on patient care.
"Healthcare professionals in growing numbers are supporting single payer health care where we use a system similar to Medicare to pay bills, and focus our efforts on improving the efficiency of care, especially treatment of chronic diseases.," Debbie noted when she reflected on RNs fighting for single payer legislation in California and nationally.
