UIC played host to the panel discussion, From "Sicko" to Sanity: The Case for Single Payer Health Care and How Do We Get it? on Thursday, July 26th. Elizabeth Lalasz of the International Socialst Organization moderated the panel that included Sheilah Garland-Olaniran of the National Nurses Organizing Committe, Dr. Anne Scheetz of Physicians for a National Health Program, , Patty McCann of Iraq Veterans Against the War and social worker, Helen Redmond.

In the forum, Dr. Scheetz explained that any healthcare plan that is not a single-payer government-run health program is bound to fail because of the uneven load of sick people distributed across the industry. Those companies with more sick people will eventually go bankrupt, she said and we will end up with a single payer anyway. She promoted the single payer plans that have been introduced on the state and national level: Illinois HB 311 and U.S. HR 676, both of which take the health insurance companies and their profits out of the healthcare equation. Scheetz as well as Sheilah Garland-Olaniran do not support Governor Blagojevich's bill, SB 5, which, like the Massachusetts plan, forces all residents to purchase a health insurance plan.

All on the panel felt that Michael Moore's smash hit, "Sicko" has catapulted universal healthcare into the political spotlight and offered the chance to pressure legislatures enough to act.

TO GET INVOLVED ON THIS ISSUE:

Healthcare for All Illinois meets the 3rd Thursday of the month at the Nurses Headquarters at 850 W. Jackson at 7:00pm. The public is welcome.

The meeting of the new group that came out of this forum is set for Tuesday, July 31, 2007 at 7:00pm at Jack's Tap, 901 W. Jackson at the corner of Peoria and Jackson

For more information call: 773-902-5282

Audio of Health Care Forum (1:45:00 in 3 parts):

Part 1: chicago.indymedia.org/media/all/display/27467/index.php

Part 2: chicago.indymedia.org/media/all/display/27468/index.php

Part 3:
chicago.indymedia.org/media/all/display/27469/index.php