Baucus to Meet With Single-Payer Advocates

Source: Truthout

Baucus to Meet With Single-Payer Advocates

Tuesday 02 June 2009

by: John S. Adams |

Helena - Sen. Max Baucus is set to meet with five single-payer health care advocates in Washington, D.C., this week.

Baucus, as chair of the Senate Finance Committee, has made health care reform his top priority this session. However, Baucus has consistently said single-payer - a system in which the federal government acts as the nation's sole health insurance provider - is off the table.

"For more than a year, Senator Baucus has met with thousands of people, representing hundreds of views on how to reform our health care system," Baucus spokesman Ty Matsdorf stated in an e-mail. "This meeting is no different. Max hopes to talk, and listen, to these folks totry and find the best way to make sure every Montanan has access to quality, affordable health care."

Last week, members of Baucus' staff held 20 listening sessions across the state on health care reform. At several of those meetings, Montanans expressed anger over Baucus' steadfast refusal to consider a single-payer option.

Last month Baucus had 13 protesters removed from Senate Finance Committee hearings after the protesters demanded that single-payer advocates be given a seat at the table during health care reform hearings.

According to the Web site SinglePayerAction.org, Baucus will meet with Dr. David Himmelstein, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and co-founder of Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP); Dr. Marcia Angell, senior lecturer, Harvard Medical School and former editor-in-chief of the New England Journal of Medicine; Dr. Oliver Fein, associate dean, Cornell Weill Medical School and president of PNHP; Rose Ann DeMoro, executive director of the California Nurses Association; and Geri Jenkins, president of California Nurses Association.

Angell said the group plans to urge Baucus to give serious consideration to Congress' two primary single-payer bills, S. 703, by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and H.R. 676, by Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich.

"We will make a case that there should be full hearings on Sanders' bill, and we'll make the case that the (Congressional Budget Office) should cost-out the Sanders and Conyers bills," Angell said in an interview Monday. "We'll make the case that single-payer advocates should have a chance to meet with the president. We will argue for holding public hearings on health reform that include single payer witnesses."

Matsdorf said the June 3 meeting was scheduled prior to last week's well-attended health care listening sessions, but Angell said she believes the pressure Montanans put on Baucus in recent weeks helped open the door for Wednesday's meeting.

"I think Sen. Baucus may be surprised at the amount of push-back he has gotten for just ruling (single-payer) off the table," Angell said. "It may indicate that he's starting to feel pressure, and that's all for the good."


Read more: http://www.truthout.org/060209S

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Are we being heard or are they just humoring us?

I was way wrong. I never thought you'd get him to sit down with you. Way To Go! Keep at him Montana!

well, maybe its a "dog and pony show", so the Dems can say, "see, we listened to you, now go away."

I think your right. All for show. This is a dead issue until we have a real leader out in front on this. I wish Dennis could be that leader but sadly only 10% at most could even tell you who he is.

He's only doing this "meeting" to cover his ass.

top priority. I wonder who he is masquerading for? BigPharma or ThePeople? Now it looks like he's going to have to deal with single payer. Ouch, I bet that hurts him in his pocket.:evilgrin:

They hear us and they are humoring us (at least Baucus and Ben Nelson are)

What a crock of shit. Maybe it's strange lies and misconceptions like this that is keeping the US from joining the first world. Here in the UK, where there is national healthcare, some people choose to have private health insurance, go to private doctors and hospitals, etc.

companies will be for nil if you all kick him out for bending to money instead of what is best for Americans.

viewable anywhere at any time???