By Kay Tillow
Kentuckians for Single-Payer Healthcare, Sept. 11, 2016
On Sept. 7, at the University of Louisville School of Medicine, members of SNaHP (Students for a National Health Program) hosted first-year students at an Education and Advocacy lunchtime discussion on the concept of a single-payer system.
Drs. Edgar Lopez and Garrett Adams, both members of Physicians for a National Health Program, assisted with a slide presentation and Q&A. Dr. Adams cited poll results that indicate growing physician support for a publicly funded plan to cover everyone. The students raised questions on the social determinants of health, disparities in delivery of care, and on the recent surge in the price of medications — including the EpiPen.
Seventeen students attended, including current president Mallika Sabharwal and past president Brandi Jones.
SNaHP chapters nationwide are gearing up for a major event on Monday, Oct. 31, under the hashtag of #TreatNotTrick:
“Despite living in an era of great potential in the fight against disease and death, Americans continue to be haunted by health care profiteers. This Halloween, hundreds of medical and health professional students around the country will call on candidates and elected officials to abolish private health insurance, and to replace the health insurance industry with an expanded and improved Medicare-for-all.
Our message: “Private health insurance is a trick – we just want to treat our patients.”
Kay Tillow is a leader of Kentuckians for Single-Payer Health Care. She resides in Louisville.
http://kyhealthcare.org/posts/u-of-l-medical-students-host-single-payer-program
