Medicare DisAdvantage
April 22, 2021
A team of nurses, doctors, and activists take up the topic of Medicare DIS-Advantage.
How to talk about it? How to stop it from gobbling up traditional Medicare? How to use it to point the way to true advantage: Single-Payer/ Improved Medicare for ALL SP/iM4A as embodied in HR 1976Everybody in, nobody out guaranteed Health Care security from cradle to gave Equitable, Accountable, Affordable, Sustainable. To view video click HERE.
This is a one hour and 15 minute video. It is divided into four segments, addressing basic aspects of Medicare and Medicare advantage the flaws of Medicare advantage, and how we can preserve traditional Medicare and progress to true Medicare for all.
“The Problem” and “How To Fix It”
May 19, 2020
1:00 pm Pacific Time
Topic: How to Talk With Business Owners About Universal Health Care
Warren George, semi-retired business consultant from Corvallis, Oregon, reports on a study he commissioned (see variedstrengths.com) showing strong public and business owner support in Oregon for universal health care. He cautions planners to carefully critique proposals by those who imply that the majority of funding will come from taxing the highest income earners. Click here for video of Warren’s talk.
Summary of May 19 session here.
Tuesday, May 26, 5 – 8 PM PT, 8 – 11 PM ET
First Speaker: Ed Weisbart MD
“Speaking for Single Payer” and how the current pandemic highlights the problems with not having a unified system. Here.
Second Speaker: David Belk MD
Dr. Belk speaks of the Great American Health Care Scam. The cost of most health care products in the US are both hidden and very deceptive, and that these deceptions are often used to take advantage of consumers. The results of much of his research can be found on his website The True cost of Healthcare (http://truecostofhealthcare.net).
Summary of May 26 session here.
Tuesday, June 16 4:00 p.m. – 7 p.m. PT (7:00 – 10:00 p.m. ET)
First Speaker: Ed Weisbart MD 4:15 – 5:15 p.m. PT, 7:15 – 8:15 p.m.ET
A basic 20-minute, COVID-relevant talk as a model for a skeptical or conservative audience, then another 10-20 minutes going back through parts of it to unpack how the specific word choices applied some of the principles from the May 26 talk. Click here.
Second Speaker: David Belk MD 5:15 – 6:15 p.m. PT, 8:15 – 9:15 p.m.ET
WHY PRIVATE INSURANCE SHOULD PLAY LITTLE OR NO ROLE IN HEALTH CARE
Please view these videos on health insurance by David Belk MD of Alameda, California. They were recorded by One Payer States on June 16, 2020.
1. Why you don’t need Medicare “Advantage” plans and how they cause more harm than good:tinyurl.com/yc6uahlx 2:57 min.
2. Why avoiding Part D Plans until you need a brand-name drug is a good idea and will save you money: tinyurl.com/ycgcyect 7:50 min.
3. Why employer-based self-insurance sounds like a good deal for employers but isn’t:tinyurl.com/y9knjv5l 6:55 min.
4. Why insurance companies rush to manage high-risk programs like Medicare and Medicaid: tinyurl.com/y7ukzegn 3:46 min.
Hint: Insurance companies don’t worry about pre-existing conditions when they administer public programs because we the public still bear the ultimate risk. Administrative overhead for Medicare Advantage is 10% versus 3% for Traditional Medicare. For other private health insurance the overhead is 10-30%.
5. Save and expand Traditional Medicare: tinyurl.com/y8exmft8 6:12 min.ace holder
6. Full 60 minute video by Dr. Belk on the failures of private health insurance: https://youtu.be/z6kmZu1p5MQ?t=2THE US HEALTH CARE SYSTEM IS NOT A SYSTEM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23lq7znnQpk
Summary of June 16 session here.
Tuesday, June 30, 4:00 p.m. – 7 p.m. PT (7:00 – 10:00 p.m. ET)
First Speaker Georgia Davenport 5:20 Preparing for ballot measures. Using social media.
Georgia Davenport is the founder of Whole Washington- the organization behind the state of Washington’s Medicare for All push. She speaks about the impetus for and steps needed to create a ballot measure for state-based universal health care.
Second Speaker: Ed Weisbart MD
6:45 – 7:45 Giving presentations: The mechanics, logistics. Dr. Weisbart gives us his tips for preparing and delivering talks. How to build a story arc, how to arrange the tables and chairs, how to gain and maintain interest from the audience. Click here to view video.
Wednesday, July 15, 4:00 p.m. – 7 p.m. PT (7:00 – 10:00 p.m. ET)
Funding a Universal Health Care System 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Warren George, semi-retired business consultant from Corvallis, Oregon, reports on the variety of tax bases that may be considered to support a universal health care system.He demonstrates an interactive spreadsheet to facilitate comparisons of tax combinations. Click here to view his presentation.
For a summary of the July 15 Office Hours click here.
Tuesday, July 28, 2020, 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. PT (7:00 – 10:00 p.m. ET)
Emergency! HR 5010 (5:00 – 5:20 p.m.)
Jeanne Nicholson, retired public health nurse and former state senator of Colorado speaks on HR 5010 the State Based Universal Health Care Act Of 2019. Click here.
Emergency! HR 6906 (5:30-6:00)
Peter Shapiro, who serves as delegate of the California Alliance for Retired Americans on the Alameda Labor Council as well on the One Payer States Policy Work Group, gives a brief overview of the challenges COVID-19 has presented to how we finance and deliver health care in the U.S. Then he talks about what HR 6906 would do. This is the Health Care Emergency Guarantee Act, which expands Medicare in the short term, until we have an FDA-approved vaccine that is widely available.
Click here for video of his talk.
Building the Movement for Health Care Advocacy (6:15-7:30 p.m.)
Rev. Sandy Strauss speaks about reaching out to faith-based communities. Her work as the Director of Advocacy and Ecumenical Outreach for the Pennsylvania Council of Churches includes informing, educating and empowering people of faith on significant public issues, as well as facilitating relationships with those who share common missions. We look forward to hearing how we can identify common ground and work with faith communities, whose work was so important in the civil rights movement. Click here for video of her talk.
First Speaker, 4:30 p.m.: Willie Fleming, founder of the International Minority Coalition of North Carolina.
Topic: Winning Universal Healthcare Through The 5% Solution.
Willie Fleming, Founder of the International Minority Coalition spoke of his bringing a wide diversity of people into a common cause for equity and justice. He stressed the need to walk up to (or call or email during pandemic) to people you have met and simply ask them questions like “How are things these days for you and your family?” “What would you change in our town, state, nation to make things better for you and all of us?” He stressed the use of “we” and “us” to clarify that you are sincerely interested in problems and solutions that affect “us” and not just you or the other person. Click here to view video.
Second Speaker 5:30 p.m. PT/8:30 p.m. ET: Brianna Mahnke, SNaHP member and medical student at Indiana University School of Medicine
Topic: Single Payer 101 talk on “US Health Insurance and Single-Payer: The Basics”
Brianna Mahnke, SNaHP member and medical student at Indiana University School of Medicine talks about “US Health Insurance and Single-Payer: The Basics”. Click here to see video.