PNHP has long been engaged in the U.S. health reform debate. Since our proposal for single-payer national health insurance appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association (08/13/03), our membership has grown to more than 17,000 American physicians, including many of the most respected members of our profession. PNHP leaders have made major contributions in the leading journals to the body of research on the U.S. health system, including the following findings:
- Medical bills contribute to sixty percent of all U.S. personal bankruptcies. (“Medical Bankruptcy in the United States, 2007: Results of a National Study,” Am. J. Med., 2009, )
- 31 percent of U.S. health spending is consumed by administrative costs. (“Costs of Health Care Administration in the U.S. and Canada” NEJM, 2003)
- Nearly 45,000 Americans die annually due to lack of health insurance. (“Health Insurance and Mortality in US Adults,” Am. J. Pub. Health, 2009)
- U.S. citizens are less healthy and have poorer access to health care than do Canadians. (“Access to Care, Health Status, and Health Disparities in the United States and Canada: Results of a Cross-National Population-Based Survey,” Am. J. Pub. Health, 2006)
Your program might feature a single speaker analyzing problems in the current health care system and the case for national health insurance. Alternatively, you might consider a debate format, contrasting pro-national health insurance views with those advocating for market-oriented reform. Related issues such as tort reform and quality improvement can also be addressed.
Click here to view a sample list of PNHP speakers.
To schedule a PNHP speaker, please fill out the form below. For additional information or if you have any questions, please contact us at (312) 782-6006 or info@pnhp.org.
