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About HCA-O and Our Mission
An introduction to Health Care for ALL – Oregon and what we are working towards.
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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
Click here to read more
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