SITUATION: Today’s US health care system is a complex, fragmented multi-payer system that still leaves wide gaps of coverage and poses significant issues of affordability. Despite health care spending in the US far exceeding other high-income, industrialized countries that offer a publicly financed single-payer system, we consistently report worse health outcomes and disparities among vulnerable populations.
An estimated 3.2 million Californians remain uninsured and millions more with coverage often delay or are unable to access necessary medications or health care services due to cost.
California Assembly Bill 2200—known as the California Guaranteed Health Care For All Act, introduced by Democratic Assemblyman Ash Kalra—sets in motion a single-payer health care coverage system in California, called CalCare, for all residents, regardless of citizenship status. By streamlining payments and lowering per-capita health care spending, CalCare guarantees quality health care and long term care without creating barriers to care or out of pocket costs.
ACTION: National Nurses United has a petition urging legislators to pass AB 2200. Click HERE to read the petition, and HERE to sign it. Click HERE to locate your California State Assembly Member, contact them, and urge passage of this crucial legislation.
ALSO: Share this message with friends, family and colleagues in California.
SITUATION: Through the ACO REACH operational structure of Medicare, commercial insurance companies (as well as other profit-driven entities) are being allowed to “manage” the care of millions of Americans who signed up for Traditional Medicare.
Many of these “bad actors” have a documented history of harming patients or taxpayers, as well as a business model that financially rewards them for denying care. Their inclusion in REACH demonstrates that the program is fundamentally flawed, and should be cancelled.
ACTION: Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP) has scheduled a webinar called Exposing the Profiteers Behind Medicare REACH, to be held Thursday, January 26th at 6 p.m. Learn how the Protect Medicare coalition is responding to the launch of the program; and how YOU can stand up to these profiteers and save Medicare for future generations. Register HERE for the webinar.
ACTION: Share this message with friends, family and colleagues.
Physicians for a National Health Program
29 E Madison St Ste 1412 | Chicago, Illinois 60602
312-782-6006 | info@pnhp.org
SITUATION: It’s obvious that the 2002 Iraq Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) is no longer needed, yet the potential for the AUMF to perpetuate forever wars is ever-present.
Regarding the 2002 AUMF, to date:
- The Biden Administration has affirmed that it is not relying on it for any ongoing operations
- Senators Todd Young (R-Ind) and Tim Kaine (D-Va) have introduced a bill in the Senate to repeal it
- In June, the House had bi-partisan support to include repeal in their version of the National Defense Authorization Act
YET IT HAS NOT RECEIVED A VOTE
ACTION: Contact your Senators today and tell them to support repeal of the 2002 Iraq AUMF, and BRING IT TO A VOTE THIS YEAR.
Go to: https://www.senate.gov/
ACTION NEEDED FOR UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE
SITUATION: Today’s U.S. health care system is a complex, fragmented multi-payer system that leaves wide gaps of coverage and poses significant issues of affordability.
SITUATION: AB 1400, the California Guaranteed HealthCare For All legislation—which sets in motion a single-payer health care coverage system in California—has passed the Assembly Health Committee and must pass the entire Assembly no later than January 22, 2022.
With Medicare under attack on a national level,
it is especially urgent for California to lead the nation on behalf of healthcare.
OTHER STATES WILL FOLLOW.
ACTION: Urge Governor Newsom to support AB1400!
ACTION: Contact your Assemblymember and say urge full and vigorous support for AB 1400.
ACTION: TELL FRIENDS AND FAMILY IN CALIFORNIA
SITUATION: The San Francisco County Transportation Authority is seeking public input on a draft spending plan for the city’s half-cent sales tax, which will go on the ballot for renewal as soon as next June. The SF Board of Supervisors, acting as the Transportation Authority Board, directs revenue toward projects city-wide, such as construction on the Central Subway and the purchase of new MUNI vehicles.
SITUATION: San Francisco voters first passed the half-cent sales tax in 1989 and renewed it in 2003. Current plans are to develop the 30-year spending plan, formally called an Expenditure Plan, and the Board of Supervisors are expected to vote by the end of February on whether to place the Expenditure Plan and sales tax renewal on the June ballot.
ACTION: San Francisco residents can:
- Fill out a survey at https://www.research.net/r/transportation-sales-tax
- Participate in a virtual town hall taking place 6 p.m. on Tuesday, November 16 https://www.sfcta.org/events/expenditure-plan-virtual-town-hall-0
- Find more details at https://www.sfcta.org/ExpenditurePlan
A 27-person Expenditure Plan Advisory Committee will then make recommendations next month to the SFCTA Board.
A Panel Discussion of the Pros & Cons of Banning Cars on JFK Drive and the Great Highway
skip the first 15 minutes!
- Why is this important?
- Who benefits? Who loses out?
- How do MUNI, Recreation and Parks Dept. and other agencies fit in?
- Does this affect access to public spaces for older people and the disabled?
The panel:
Gordon Mar, San Francisco Supervisor, District 4
Serena Unger, Urban, Rural, Regional Strategies Planning Consultant
Karen Berniker, Logistics and Planning Department, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
Sarah Jones, Director of SFMTA Planning Sub-division, SFMTA
Join us to hear all sides of the issue on street closure
Ask Questions!
Join in the Debate!
Zoom Meeting plus telephone call-in
Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021—11 AM to 12:15
For more information, call: (415) 712-1695, or email info@owlsf.org
The Pandemic and Beyond:
Looking After our Mental Health
A Presentation by Dr. Patrick Arbore, EdD.
Institute on Aging
- Taking stock of the effects of this historic pandemic
- Coping with the resulting changes, losses and emotions
- Opportunities for learning and growth
Dr. Abore is a nationally recognized expert in the field of mental health and aging. He has devoted his life to increasing awareness of isolation, loneliness, and depression in older adults.
Zoom video and call-in Meeting
Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021—11 AM to 12:15
The meeting was recorded and can be viewed by clicking the link and entering the passcode below
Passcode: ?@!Eh=V6
Rental Subsidies for Low Income Seniors and People with Disabilities are vital to Keeping Seniors Housed and Safe
SITUATION: A majority of senior renters and people with disabilities in S.F. have incomes too low to qualify for “affordable” housing and need rental subsidies to afford even these programs. There are 2 types of rental subsidies:
1) Portable Rental Subsidies provide assistance with rent payments that stay with the tenant if they need to move.
2) Senior Operating Subsidies (SOS): Subsidies stay with the rental unit as “deeply affordable” set asides for very low-income seniors. Funds for SOS program presently available for 5 years only starting in 2019.
Both of these programs have been successful and must be expanded!
ACTION:
1) Phone and/or email Mayor London Breed and ask her to fund $3 million for portable rental subsidies and $3M for Senior Operating Subsidies in the Fiscal Year 2021-22 budget.
CONTACT: PLEASE CALL ASAP BECAUSE THE MAYOR ANNOUNCES HER BUDGET ON JUNE 1!!!
Mayor London Breed, Phone: (415) 554-6141
E-mail: mayorlondonbreed@sfgov.org
BAN UN-IDENTIFIABLE, SELF-ASSEMBLED GUNS IN SAN FRANCISCO!
SITUATION: “Ghost Guns” are becoming increasingly popular in the Bay Area because they can be bought legally without a background check and shipped to any location. 44% of guns recovered from San Francisco homicides are ghost guns. They are a public safety threat as mounting numbers are being found in the aftermath of gang violence, burglaries and neighborhood shootings.
ACTION: New legislation, proposed by Supervisor Catherine Stefani, completely bans the possession and sale of ghost guns and their untraceable components.
Call and email your supervisor and tell him or her to make our communities safer and stop the surge of shootings across our city by supporting this “Ghost Gun” legislation.
Contacts for Supervisors:
Connie Chan, Dist. 1, 415-554-7410, ChanStaff@sfgov.org
Catherine Stefani, Dist. 2, 415-554-7752, Catherine.Stefani@sfgov.org
Aaron Peskin, Dist. 3, 415-554-7450, Aaron.Peskin@sfgov.org
Gordon Mar, Dist. 4, 415-554-7460, Gordon.Mar@sfgov.org
Dean Preston, Dist. 5, 415-554-7630, Dean.Preston@sfgov.org
Matt Haney, Dist. 6, 415-554-7970, Matt.Haney@sfgov.org
Myrna Melgar, Dist. 7, (415) 554-6516, MelgarStaff@sfgov.org
Rafael Mandelman, Dist. 8, 415-554-6968, MandelmanStaff@sfgov.org
Hillary Ronen, Dist. 9, 415-554-5144, Hillary.Ronen@sfgov.org
Shamann Walton, Dist. 10, 415-554-7670, Shamman.Walton@sfgov.org
Ashsa Safai, Dist. 11, 415-554-6975, Ahsha.Safai@sfgov.org
- OWL meetings in 2017 included…
- Coming Together: Broadening Our Base: Learn About What Other Organizations Are Doing in These Unsettling Times!
- Stand Together and Take Action: Medicare and Medical Are Under Attack…
- And Social Security Is Next!
- Women’s Health: Learn of All the Many Services for Women from Planned Parenthood
- The Immigration Debate: What Is True? What Is False? What Is Mixed?
- Summer Of Love: Garden Party
- What Does Climate Change Mean for You and Your Health?
- Reframing Aging: Confronting and Transforming Society’s Current Images, Biases and Prejudices
- Why Bother Making Friends? Let’s Talk About the Importance of Relationships In Our Lives!
- Proposition 13: Make It Fair!
- OWL meetings in 2015 included…
- Fracking and Water: The Environmental Impact on Our Lives and What to Do About It
- Muslim Women in Today’s World
- How Can We Grow Old and Stay In San Francisco?
- What’s The Latest on Medicare and Social Security?
- Legacy Film Festival on Aging Preview
- Ballot Round-Up for November 2015 Elections