Universal Health Care

UPDATED 4/20/07 - Corrected number of children without health care in the U.S. according to the National Coalition on Health Care. Thanks, Obbie!

[From Maureen Freedland of the Great Northern River States Health Care Initiative]

La Crosse County has 7,700 residents without health insurance.

Uninsured children are twice as likely to not get needed medical care.

46 million Americans -- one out of every seven, including 8.3 million children -- do not have health care coverage.

Many of us believe we need to have a major overhaul of how medical care is covered in this country. There's an event planned in La Crescent, for Wisconsin and Minnesota people, to be part of Cover the Uninsured Week -- a national effort.

That event is planned for 1:00 p.m., Sunday, April 22 in at the La Cresent High School. Please click READ MORE below for more details.
The local Wisconsin group helping to plan this is the Great Northern River States Health Care Initiative, a group of folks from both sides of the Mississippi who have come together for the purpose of advocacy for a better health care system. The event is also sponsored by the Minnesota Universal Health Care Coalition.

Let's hurry up and help us get to the point where the public recognizes that "single payer" health insurance is the system we could adopt that would be most fair, affordable, universal, and comprehensive. It will give us the most choices in our medical cares. Health Savings Accounts, which hopefully we won't get instead, are at best a partial solution, for those wealthy and healthy enough to afford them.

Health care is a human right and it should not be treated as a privilege or a commodity. Please come to this Community Conversation on April 22 at 1:00 at the La Crescent High School.

Here's the news release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Craig Brooks 507-459-0237
A Community Conversation on Universal Health Care
La Crescent forum to discuss how to overhaul the medical care system

Citizens of Minnesota and Wisconsin are invited to a conversation about single-payer health care and what state legislation is currently being considered, as lawmakers participate in “A Forum on Single Payer—The Solution with NO Fine Print,” Sunday April 22 at La Crescent High School, 1301 Lancer Blvd. from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Dr. James Hart, a member of Minnesota Universal Health Care Coalition (MUHCC) and Physicians for a National Health Program, will give an introduction to Single Payer health care to open the conversation. Participants will then share stories about their personal challenges with our health care system, after which elected officials, including Sen. Sharon Ropes and Rep. Ken Tschumper, will describe pending legislative proposals. A question and answer session will conclude the forum.

"We need to educate ourselves and make our voices heard," said Craig Brooks, an organizer of the event. "If we don’t let them know what citizens want, the lobbyists will control the outcome. We hope to raise awareness as to the benefits of a single-payer health care system."

The event is co-sponsored by the Great Northern States Health Care Initiative, citizens from Wisconsin and Minnesota who are advocating for better health care systems in our states and the nation, and MUHCC. Interested persons are invited to contact Craig Brooks at 507-459-0237 for further information.