HCA-MN General Meeting 5/23/2017 Summary

A general HCA-MN meeting was held on May 23rd to update people on the organization startup and Minnesota healthcare reform.  The meeting was led by Dr. Ron Jankowki.  Ron warmly welcomed everybody and gave a brief introduction.

After giving HCA-MN’s history, Ron made it clear that a Minnesota healthcare plan for all, according to HCA-MN values, deserves nonpartisan support. To gain that support, an audience member said that he found it most effective to bring in people with the questioning approach at several business group meetings, rather than relying on hot-button labels.

Ron stressed that education is key in this process in order to “immunize” people from false information on the current health care system.  Coalition and chapter building, especially in Greater Minnesota, will be the means to involve people statewide.

Rose Roach, Executive Director of the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA), reported that MNA has a single-payer staff person and lauded Bernie Sanders’ single-payer leadership. She then explained the Core Strategy Group of MNA, TakeAction, Isaiah, and Land Stewardship Project (LSP) is working toward single-payer with a 5-year plan.  For their part, MNA has been:

  • educating their own nurses on single-payer within hospitals
  • setting up single-payer captains in the legislative districts
  • doing joint-lobbying with the other Core Strategy Group members for the current healthcare programs that are under attack
  • meeting with Neighborhoods Organizing for Change (NOC) on the racial injustice in the current system
  • conducting and participating in anti-AHCA (American Health Care Act) actions at Congressional offices and town hall meetings.

Rose is highly critical of the nearly $1 billion bailout of the HMOs, and should be replaced with direct contracting. The political landscape is changing on healthcare due to growing opposition to AHCA and will be a mid-term election issue, she concluded.

Glen Peterson, Board Member Physicians for a National Healthcare Program – MN (PNHP-MN) reported on PNHP-MN’s speakers’ bureau and training programs, which are available to groups, and are proposing to develop a writers’ bureau and training for letters to the editor and commentary. Although they are in somewhat of a lull, and some members are discouraged due to the political change, they are now sensing a shift in political winds due to the AHCA and the time is right for movement on single-payer.   PNHP-MN was pleased with the turn outand participation at their recent Medicare for All Rally at the Capitol Rotunda.  He concluded by saying that the rationale toward single-payer is based on inequities in the current HMO system as seen by the failure to audit the HMOs. This unaccountability is a reason for enacting a more efficient and less costly system.

Ron then introduced chapter development and committee work by describing his involvement and possibly that of the attendees as not self-serving but wanting to do the right thing for better healthcare.  He re-emphasized the affordable high quality health care approach, rather than direct single-payer, to let people own the solution. The structures for doing this are chapters of local people talking to local people, the website, Facebook, and committees which comprise the “arms and legs of the movement”.

Art Jech explained that chapters are being formed according to geography and by groups that are political, business, faith-based, or of other interests. Education is key to developing informed citizens so they can take the action step of meeting with their legislators.  Gary Eagen reported that chapters have started in New Ulm, Owatonna, and with some political groups.

Steve Janusz reported on the website development that is now up and available.  We have a contact list of people; 290 and growing.  An internal online dialogue group has been created.  An audience member stressed that Facebook is needed to engage young people and recommended creation of a U of M student chapter.

Anne Jones reported on the committees that need to be developed; communication for public awareness, education and health care policy, research, and fundraising.  She called for volunteers to help define strategies for these committees and volunteer actions.

Questions/comments from attendees:

An audience member wanted to know the percent of public support for single-payer to which Rose answered 70% in a certain credible poll; and Kip Sullivan explained that polls get high single-payer favorability when government and taxes are not the key words. Glen said there are numerous on-line polls showing support.

An audience doctor commented that the ACA’s allowance for pre-existing conditions improves the coverage from before, but remains “malignant” by being insurance-based.

Questions to attendees:

Do you agree that there is a need for affordable, high quality care for all Minnesotans?  Yes, was the unanimous response.

Do you agree with our direction and strategy, or do you suggest any changes?  There seemed to be near unanimous agreement. One audience member reported that her persistence in reasoned argument directly for single-payer paid off in winning over a diehard skeptic.

At the end of the meeting there was individual to individual discussion on volunteer opportunities and 14 people signed up.