Health care events 2016

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1. Report surprise medical bills to Consumers Union

Your health insurance should work when you need it. But we’re hearing that Washington residents with good insurance are still getting hit with thousands of dollars in surprise medical bills!

A gaping loophole in Washington state law allows doctors and hospitals to hit you with these surprise bills. We can close this loophole, but we need a simple thing from you:

If you have been hit with a surprise medical bill -- a charge you thought your insurance should have covered -- tell us about it now. We expect Washington lawmakers will take up legislation soon that could protect you from these medical bills, but your story is needed to get the new law passed!

If you got a surprise medical bill from a Washington doctor or hospital, please tell us about it here!

Right now, there is no guarantee in Washington law that an ‘in-network’ hospital on your insurance will use in-network doctors and labs. That means you could get stuck paying for ‘out-of-network’ care from providers who you rightly thought were covered.

This loophole can leave you in a financial bind. Just like Dan Jacobs of Vancouver, Washington. Dan went to an emergency room in his insurance plan's network because he thought he might be having a heart attack. It was a quick visit—the doctor checked him out, assured him that he was fine, and sent him on his way.

But the doctor who attended to him was a contractor, not an employee of the hospital, so he was hit with a surprise bill.

“No one should have to be surprised by a magic medical bill that appears out of nowhere by a doctor that doesn't even work at the facility,” Dan says. “Even though I feel like I have a handle on my life, a little $400 bill could knock me on my butt for a minute.”

Washington lawmakers can close this loophole so any care you receive at an in-network hospital will be covered. But unless lawmakers know this is a real problem for constituents, they could be convinced by the powerful medical establishment not to fix it.

If you’ve had a surprise medical bill in Washington, tell us your story. It could make the difference!

If you don’t have a personal experience with a surprise medical bill, maybe a friend or family member does? If so, forward this to them so they can get involved in the fight to end surprise medical bills in Washington once and for all.

Thanks again!

Daniela Nunez, Consumers Union


https://consumersunion.org/share-your-surprise-medical-bill-story/

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2. Demonstrate against ZoomCare with PSARA 1/13

On Wednesday, Jan. 13 at noon, PSARA will lead a rally at 2301 2nd Ave., Seattle targeting a new, for-profit, health care provider/insurer, Zoom+Care. Originating in Oregon, this new provider has set their sights on moving into Washington.

Zoom+Care refuses to accept Medicare or Medicaid and is sometimes called the "new Uber of healthcare". Others call its model the "fast-food medicine."

Zoom+Care has applied to the Office of the Insurance Commissioner to be a recognized insurer in the state of Washington. They presently have 6 primary care/urgent care clinics in the Seattle area, one of which is in Bell Town at 2301 2nd Ave. near the PSARA office. This is an area with many seniors and Medicaid recipients.

Zoom+Care plans to expand aggressively, growing to 16 clinics in King County alone.

Oregon legislators and non-profit providers accuse Zoom of "cherry-picking" younger healthier customers and leaving other providers with older and sicker patients.

Please try to attend this less than one hour rally. It would be great if some folks would show up at the PSARA office around 10 a.m. to make some signs for the rally.

Zoom+Care is a predatory, for-profit health care operation and we will shine a spotlight on their practices and perhaps influence the OIC to deny their application.

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5. Video of event in Ballard

ZoomCare Ballard Clinic, Seattle Washington Demonstration 4-19-16

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This video is about a demonstration at the ZoomCare Ballard Clinic in Seattle Washington, 4-19-16. ZoomCare is an investor owned for-profit clinic that does not accept Medicaid, Medicare or any public insurance. It has 7 clinics in Seattle, none in low-income or medically underserved communities.
The demonstration was sponsored by Puget Sound Advocates for Retirement Action, Washington Community Action Network, SEIU 1199, Physicians for a National Health Program - Western Washington, Health Care for All Washington, UFCW 21, Unite Here Local 8, and the Inland Boatman's Union

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3. PNHP-NW to meet 1/20 in Seattle

Our first PNHPWW Monthly Meeting will be held on Wednesday, Jan 20th, 7:30pm at the Swedish/Cherry Hill Campus, SECC, Room C. Our focus will be on Black Lives Matter & we are fortunate to have Michael Moynihan, aka Renaissance The Poet, as our speaker and discussion leader. Renaissance is a well-known Spoken Word and Hip Hop artist from Seattle. He is a senior at the University of Washington double-majoring in history and philosophy, and is intent on earning a degree in law. He is engaged in the struggle for Black Liberation and has been very active in the Black Lives Matter movement.

3. Our Annual Public Meeting will be at UW Kane Hall on Saturday, February 20th, 7pm. Our speakers will be John Nichols, political writer for The Nation Magazine and Donna Smith, President of Health Care for All Oregon. HCFA-O will have a universal health care initiative on the ballot in 2016. We are working on other weekend events & the agenda & should have a flyer ready in a week or so.

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4. The Human Rights Approach to Healthcare; Seattle 1/18

34th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration
WE HAWVWEQTHE POWER TO MAKE CHANGE

Join us at our workshop,
The Human Rights Approach to Healthcare

Monday, January 18th
Garfield High School
400 23rd Ave & E Jefferson
Seattle, Washington
Phil Caper, MD
Maine AllCare
Advisor to Sen. Ted

“Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in healthcare is the most shocking and inhumane.” Martin Luther King, Jr.

• Workshops:
9:30 - 10:50 am

• Rally:
11:00 am - 12:30 pm

• March leaves Garfield
High School at 12:30 pm
www.mlkseattle.org

UNITED FOR SINGLE PAYER • 206-261-4664

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6. PNHP meeting May 18th in Seattle

The PNHPWW May 18th Monthly Meeting will feature a discussion with Andy Coates, MD, Chief of Hospital Medicine, Samaritan Hospital, Troy, New York; Immediate Past President, PNHP; and member of the Working Group on Single-Payer Program Design that produced the recently released "Beyond the Affordable Care Act: A Physicians’ Proposal for Single-Payer Health Care Reform.” Andy will be Skyped in from his home in New York so the program will begin at 7:30pm sharp, South East Conference Center, Room B, Swedish Medical Center/Cherry Hill Campus, 500 17th Avenue, Seattle. Easy parking on the street or in the hospital garage.

Single-payer is now “on the table” thanks to Bernie Sanders making it a central part of his campaign and its opponents various arguments about its cost, economic impact, and political feasibility. PNHP has made a commitment to take full advantage of this opportunity to push things forward during this political season by using the Physicians Proposal as the centerpiece its strategy. Andy will share some ideas about this strategy and how direct actions may be useful.

There are at least 170 endorsers of the Physicians Proposal in Washington State, including 97 from Seattle and nearby locations. The PNHP national office is going to send a special invitation to nearby endorsers to attend the meeting.

Andy is a passionate engaging speaker, as many of us remember from his participation in our 2013 Annual Public Meeting.

Hope to see you on Wednesday,

David McLanahan
Coordinator, PNHPWW