Tuesday morning the Senate Finance Committee held a hearing regarding the future of healthcare in the United States featuring 15 witnesses, however, not a single witness was a supporter of single payer healthcare. Wanting their voices to be heard a number of doctors and advocates stood up at the start of the session and demanded a seat at the table and as they spoke they were immediately escorted out of the room and arrested by Capitol police.
The speakers who stood up were from the organizations Physicians for a National Health Program, Health Care Now, and Single Payer Action. Senator Max Baucus of Montana is the head of the Finance Committee and he is also the leading Democrat in the Senate to receive donations from health insurance companies. Baucus has received more than $400,000 from the companies and their employees.
[Baucus]: The whole point of this hearing and other hearings is to try and determine the best route and the best option for reforming our country's healthcare system.
Although Baucus said he respected the position of single payer advocates he didn't offer any of the physicians in the audience a seat at the table. President Barack Obama included supporters of single payer healthcare during his hearing in March.
Single Payer Universal Health Care Advocates Denied A Voice At Senate Hearing - 05/06/09 | Workers Independent News
A New York Times/CBS News poll released last week shows, yet again, that the majority of Americans support national health insurance.
The poll, which compares answers to the same questions from 30 years ago, finds that, 59% [of Americans] say the government should provide national health insurance, including 49% who say such insurance should cover all medical problems.
Only 32% think that insurance should be left to private enterprise.
Another Poll Shows Majority Support for Single-Payer | Healthcare-NOW!
The speakers who stood up were from the organizations Physicians for a National Health Program, Health Care Now, and Single Payer Action. Senator Max Baucus of Montana is the head of the Finance Committee and he is also the leading Democrat in the Senate to receive donations from health insurance companies. Baucus has received more than $400,000 from the companies and their employees.
[Baucus]: The whole point of this hearing and other hearings is to try and determine the best route and the best option for reforming our country's healthcare system.
Although Baucus said he respected the position of single payer advocates he didn't offer any of the physicians in the audience a seat at the table. President Barack Obama included supporters of single payer healthcare during his hearing in March.
Single Payer Universal Health Care Advocates Denied A Voice At Senate Hearing - 05/06/09 | Workers Independent News
A New York Times/CBS News poll released last week shows, yet again, that the majority of Americans support national health insurance.
The poll, which compares answers to the same questions from 30 years ago, finds that, 59% [of Americans] say the government should provide national health insurance, including 49% who say such insurance should cover all medical problems.
Only 32% think that insurance should be left to private enterprise.
Another Poll Shows Majority Support for Single-Payer | Healthcare-NOW!