Health Care as a Human Right Advocate Takes Message to Fort Collins

Donna Smith, Executive Director of Health Care for All Colorado, can be heard during an interview session where questions were asked by the moderator during the first half.  And,  then by the audience in the second half.   Her visit to Fort Collins was sponsored by Health Care for All Colorado Northern Colorado Chapter on April 3, 2013.  These interviews were created by the Tim Caffrey Show for a local TV channel in Fort Collins. 

During the first half of the evening she was asked several questions by Tim Caffrey, from Northern Colorado Progressives, regarding her entrance into the fight for single payer health care.  You can watch how Donna Smith decided to fight the powerful Health Insurance Money machine!   She spends her time discussing how and why she and her husband Larry agreed to go to Cuba with Michael Moore for her medical care.  

In a heartbreaking segment she tells how American insurance companies blocked their path to obtain the health care she needed.  This happens every day in every state.  She shares how personal bankruptcies are more often experienced by individuals who have health insurance.   She is then asked why she joined Health Care for All Colorado and Health Care for all Colorado Foundation. 

One of the many points Donna makes about the flaws of our private insurance based health care system, "Health insurance is not health care.  Health insurance is a financial product sold to us to protect our health and our wealth but does neither thing very well."

Throughout the video you will see “overlays” of “fact sheets” from a number of valuable sources.   

She discusses the reasons the Obama Care bill won’t solve this problem.   She is leading both organizations forward finding a way to get to single-payer health care along with the funding to support this.  Sadly, she also discusses Colorado’s situation when it comes to the care of children in our State.  

Asked what she thinks about the Affordable Care Act, she indicates that it is better than not having health insurance! But it doesn’t bring down the cost of health care.  

The second YouTube shown with the link below shows an audience given the opportunity to address questions to Donna.    Kevin Caffrey, President of Northern Colorado Chapter Labor Council was the Moderator.   

There is confusion about COBRA insurance, which happens when you’ve been outsourced and lose your job.  What is COBRA?   What does it cover?  Donna talks about how it is the continuation of benefits under a person’s former employer.  Employer’s contribution no longer is continued after 18 months.  She has just found out that it would cost her $1803 per month!  The ultimate solution is a single-payer. 

Asked why she chose Colorado to fight for Single-Payer?  Her husband was raised in Colorado and they spent most of their married life here. Additionally, she felt like this was a time when national health care reform wasn’t going to happen.  She wants to see single-payer healthcare in her lifetime.   Twenty-six states are working on health care.   She was offered the job by Health Care for all Colorado, and was happy to accept. 

What is a single-payer system?    Best example is Medicare.  Everyone pays into Medicare.  The health care is private and payments are made from a single public pool.   Other examples are the American Indian health care system and the Veterans program for health care.  

A single-payer system will save money in the care of non-Medicare and Medicaid patients.  How will the government save money?  In reviewing the present system of paying for public entities (city, school, and county) health care and retiree benefits, etc. and comparing them with single-payer, it is a staggering amount of money which is saved.  She gives examples of where it will save money.   

We need to have one-on-one conversations with friends, and share the ideas about a single payer system. 

What is the feasibility of Colorado realizing of a plan like Vermont?   It is up to us to move to a national system, or at least in Colorado a State-wide public, non-profit, health care system.  The U.S. is #1 in the cost of health care in the world.  

There is so much more in this interview.   I urge you to listen to what Donna has to say and how she says it with such wisdom and passion.