About HCA-O and Our Mission
An introduction to Health Care for ALL – Oregon and
what we are working towards.
Page Index
* Who we are
* What we are currently doing
* Our history
* Health care in Oregon
* Universal, Single-Payer Health Care
Who we are
Health Care for ALL – Oregon is a statewide, grassroots,
non-profit corporation advocating reform of the current
health care system. We support the universal, single-payer
model of health care delivery and believe such a system
could be implemented in Oregon. Our motto is "Everybody
in, nobody out."
We are governed by a Steering Committee of dedicated volunteers
from across the state. The Steering Committee is composed
of members of the Executive Committee (Chairman, Vice Chair,
Secretary, Treasurer, and At-Large Representative) and two
representatives from each Community Leadership Team.
Community Leadership Teams (CLTs) are local chapters in
cities around the state. Currently we have active CLTs in
Lane County, Mid-Valley (Albany/Corvallis), Portland, and
Rogue Valley (Ashland/Medford). We hope to add CLTs during
the coming year.
The heart and soul of Health Care for ALL – Oregon
are the hundreds of volunteers that hit the streets in 2001-2002
to gather signatures for the Oregon Comprehensive Health
Care Finance Plan which became Ballot Measure 23. Additionally,
volunteers present fundraisers, staff phone banks, and speak
to groups in their communities about how a universal, single-payer
health care system will provide health care to every Oregonian.
We also have some limited paid staff support to help with
bookkeeping and various technical projects for the organization.
As our membership grows, we hope to add staff to carry out
many of the day-to-day functions.
As a grassroots organization, we rely on funding from concerned
individuals like you and from organizations that support
health care reform in the United States. During the 2001-2002
campaign cycle, 77% of contributions to Health Care for
ALL – Oregon came from people, businesses, and organizations
in Oregon - 59% of which were individuals, couples and families.
Nationally, contributions have come from 27 states and the
District of Columbia. However, we operated with about a
tenth the funding of those supporting the status quo - big
business, big insurance and big hospitals.
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What we are currently doing
Since Election Day 2002, Health Care for ALL – Oregon
has been hard at work planning for the future. Our energies
are focused in four main areas: learning from Measure 23,
talking with supporters and opposition about where to go
from here, fundraising, and building a stronger organization
for the future. We are planning to put another measure onto
the ballot in 2008.
Learning from Measure 23
Measure 23 was the first citizen written legislation presented
to Oregon voters. It proposed a comprehensive overhaul of
the way health care is delivered in the state. However,
with only 10% of the funding enjoyed by our opponents, it
was hard for our volunteers to get the message out that
Measure 23 was good medicine for Oregon.
The fact that 265,310 voters said "Yes, we need to
change the way health care is financed" has provided
encouragement to Health Care for ALL–Oregon even though
we lost the election. Many reform-minded groups - and even
some opponents - encourage us to modify Measure 23's language
and to try again. But we learned only too well that before
we put another initiative on the ballot, we need a much
stronger coalition and far greater financial resources.
Talking with Supporters
To build this coalition, Health Care for ALL – Oregon
members are meeting with endorsers, legislators, supporters,
and opponents. We are gathering feedback about what worked
well and what could be improved as we shape strategy and
legislation for the future.
Would you like to contribute your input? Then print out
this Adobe Acrobat PDF questionnaire, fill it in and mail
it to Health Care for ALL – Oregon, PO Box 51422,
Eugene, OR 97405.
Fundraising
Like most non-profits, we rely heavily on the support of
individuals, businesses, and other organizations that feel
it's time to change the way Oregonians receive health care.
Please send donations to support our work to: Health Care
for ALL - Oregon, P.O. Box 51422, Eugene OR 97405
Are you willing to help with fundraising? Then contact
Treasurer Charlotte Maloney at (541) 345-6867 or by email
at charuhc@comcast.net.
Building a Stronger Organization
We are meeting with representatives of key stakeholder
groups, such as physicians, business owners, church groups,
and labor to develop the principles and strategies necessary
to pass a ballot measure in 2008. To find out how you can
contribute to this process, email HCA-O Chairman Mark Lindgren
at marklindgren2@comcast.net.
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Our history
The effort to establish universal single payer funding
for Oregonians began in the 1980's. In the 1990's ten state
legislators, including current state Senator Bill Morrisette
and current State Democratic Chair Jim Edmunson, sponsored
a single payer bill. Several legislators traveled to Canada
to study the single payer system there. Oregon Fair Share,
a chapter of a national consumer action group and the forerunner
of Oregon Health Action Coalition, had done door-to-door
canvassing which indicated that lack of health insurance
was a major issue with respondents. Dr Michael Garland,
at OHSU, and others set-up statewide focus groups to explore
health care needs. Interest in accessing Oregonians to health
care was high.
Several members of the Oregon Fair Share committee studying
universal health care systems decided to form a separate
group to work toward establishing such a system. Smaller
groups in Portland and Albany-Corvallis meet to study and
promote this concept. One was Mid Valley Health Associates.
Members of these groups met with community and business
leaders, testified in favor of the legislative bills sponsored
each session, and educational meetings in their communities.
In the spring of 1998 Betty Johnson, Rich Lague, and Don
Miller of Mid Valley Health Associates organized meetings
in Springfield and Ashland to explore developing in each
area a group of people concerned about access to health
care in Oregon. Single Payer Action Reform Committee (SPARC)
was the name adopted for the state wide organization made
up of "chapters," called community leadership
teams, in Rogue Valley, Lane County, Mid Valley and Portland.
Members of these groups were health professionals, citizen
activists, political activists, retired folks, working folks,
religious leaders, small business owners, and self employed
business people. A state wide steering committee with representatives
from each of the community leadership teams met monthly.
Health Care for ALL – Oregon Formed
After the group decided to pursue a ballot initiative,
a language committee was formed and the group adopted the
name Health Care for ALL – Oregon. The group filed
with the state of Oregon as a political action committee.
Former legislator Phil Dreyer, Dr. John Partridge, and Max
Wilkins met with Portland groups and union locals to obtain
support for the efforts of the group. Likewise, Betty Johnson,
Don Miller, Rich Lague, and other Mid Valley group members
met with similar groups and business administrators. Jerry
Cavanaugh and other leaders did the same in the Rogue Valley,
while Ruth Duemler, Mary Ann Holser, Carmel Decroos and
others did the same in Lane County.
We struggled for over two years to write the plan, working
from a list of principles to which all members agreed. The
language committee worked out the details of a universal
health care initiative, consulting with sympathetic legislators,
State officials, political leaders, health professionals,
and legislative counsel. We obtained the best advice we
could, as a volunteer lightly funded grass roots group without
major power brokers. We attempted to enjoin statewide organizations
concerned with health and welfare in an active coalition.
We were met with some support, but with a general reluctance
to openly and actively participate. We designed a plausible,
unique, and attainable plan. Consulting health economists
completed estimates of the financing.
Far from vague, our initiative legislation had more detail
than many other initiatives seen on State ballots. It is
true that outside groups were not involved in the writing,
but when contacted many appeared not interested in active
involvement at the time. We worked with labor directly and
changed language responding to their concerns. We might
have worked harder on this, but the pressure of deadlines
for the initiative and the continuing worsening of the health
access situation loomed large for our small volunteer group.
The initiative was filed in 2000 for the 2000 ballot. The
chief petitioners were Phil Dreyer, Ruth Duemler, and Dr.
John Partridge. The language written by the responsible
state agency to describe the initiative in the Voters' Pamphlet
was unfavorable. The steering committee decided to challenge
the wording, realizing the process would delay the beginning
of signature gathering. Unfortunately, despite the excellent
presentation by attorney Dan Meek, the challenge was unsuccessful,
as the Oregon Supreme Court ruled for all 14 challenged
initiatives in one day to change the wording of none. This
decision was announced in mid April, 2000, leaving insufficient
time to collect the required number of signatures by the
early July deadline.
2002 Election Campaign
Health Care for ALL – Oregon immediately prepared
to file for the 2002 election, as well as filed as a nonprofit
corporation in the state of Oregon. With minimal wording
changes, it was filed in January, 2001. It was hoped that
more accurate and more neutral wording would be proposed
for the description in the Voters' Pamphlet. Unfortunately,
the exact wording from the 2000 initiative was issued. Rather
than again spend the time challenging the wording, the steering
committee decided to proceed to allow maximum time for the
signature gathering, which began in mid May. New supporters
joined the grass roots effort during signature gathering
through person to person education about the issue.
Health Care for ALL – Oregon gathered 98,000 signatures,
of which 68,000 were collected by hundreds of unpaid volunteers
from every portion of our state.
Once qualified for the ballot, Measure 23 received minimal
financial support for a statewide initiative. Total donations,
including in kind contributions, during the calendar year
2002 was slightly less than $73,000. Although many important
statewide organizations indicated general support, for the
most part, the support was not backed up with funding, person
power or organizational efforts to assist the campaign.
Post Measure 23
Prior to inaccurate radio and television ads by the well
financed opposition, polls showed voters who had decided
were nearly evenly divided between yes and no. Measure 23
lost the election with approximately 25% of the votes. In
precincts in which HCAO members provided educational materials
at the majority of public events, Measure 23 passed. Health
Care for ALL – Oregon is now in the process of contacting
groups who endorsed Measure 23 and other organizations to
gain strong active commitments behind their verbal support
before we proceed with our next step forward.
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Health care in Oregon
Over half a million Oregonians don't have health insurance
in 2005. In addition, people with insurance coverage are
realizing that they are not as secure as they once were.
A universal, single-payer health care system will ensure
comprehensive affordable quality health care for all Oregon
residents by providing payment for medically necessary health
services. The need for universal health care has become
clear due to many of the problems with our current health
care system.
* Double-digit increases in health care costs - again.
* More than one in six Oregonians has no health insurance
* One in four of these is a child.
* A patient's bill of rights will only benefit people who
already have insurance. It does nothing to give insurance
to those who are without it.
* Even people who have coverage have problems. Many are
only a pink slip away from losing their health care.
* Insurance companies are reducing benefits and increasing
premiums. Patients are denied needed care by insurance company
number crunchers
* Patients often cannot choose their own doctors.
* Medical bills are the number one cause of personal bankruptcy
filings.
* 25% of total health expenditures are spent on advertising,
outrageous CEO salaries, shareholder profits and burdensome
paperwork for doctors.
Managed care was going to be the answer - now it's the
problem. A universal, single-payer health care system will
ensure access to comprehensive affordable quality health
care for all Oregon residents by providing payment for all
medically necessary health services.
Every other industrialized nation provides universal health
care. We are spending more and getting less.
How's your health security? Take our quick Health Care
Quiz:
· Would you still have health insurance if you lost
or changed your job?
· Are your benefits as good as they were five years
ago? · Is your insurance company reducing benefits
and/or increasing premiums?
· Are you covered for the costs of long-term care
or a major illness?
· Will Medicare take care of all your health needs
during retirement?
Universal, single payer health care guarantees Oregonians
equal access to lifelong and secure medical coverage. This
is why we chose the slogan EVERYBODY IN, NOBODY OUT!
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Universal, Single-Payer Health Care
American health care is sick
• Double-digit increases in health care insurance
premiums — again.
• Managed care was going to be the answer —
now it’s the problem.
• More than one in six Oregonians has no health insurance,
and one in four of them is a child.
• Even people with coverage have problems. Many are
only a pink slip away from losing it. Insurance companies
are reducing benefits and increasing premiums. Patients
are denied needed care by insurance company staff, and often
cannot choose their doctors.
• Medical bills are the number one cause of personal
bankruptcy filings.
• 25% of total health expenditures are spent on advertising,
outrageous CEO salaries, shareholder profits and burdensome
paperwork for both the insurance companies and the providers.
Far too many Oregonians don't have health care. And people
with insurance coverage may not be as secure as they think
they are. Health Care for All-Oregon proposes a system that
will ensure comprehensive, affordable, quality health care
for all Oregon residents by providing medically necessary
health services.
We believe that every Oregonian should have access to comprehensive
health care through a plan that covers basic, comprehensive
health services.
We believe that health care practitioners should be independent
members of the private sector, free to spend their time
on patient care, not paperwork.
Financing dedicated to health care
• Money that federal, state, and local governments
now spend on health care would provide nearly half the money
to finance comprehensive health services for all Oregon
residents.
• Remaining funding would come from a combination
of progressive payroll and income taxes and other sources.
EVERYBODY IN, NOBODY OUT
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