Healthcare-NOW!

Infobox_Organization
name = Healthcare-NOW!
formation = 2004
website = [http://www.healthcare-now.org/ healthcare-now.org]

Healthcare-NOW! is a non-profit grassroots coalition in support of the single payer health care reform movement for the United States. [ cite news |url= http://www.thenation.com/blogs/edcut/256484/hillary_obama_and_healthcare |title= Hillary, Obama and Healthcare |author= Katrina vanden Heuvel |date= 2007-12-03 |publisher= "The Nation" ] Healthcare-NOW!'s main goal is to implement the United States National Health Insurance Act ( [http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:h.r.00676: HR 676] , aka Expanded and Improved Medicare for All). [cite news |url= http://www.huffingtonpost.com/miles-mogulescu/why-not-single-payer-part_b_111718.html |title= Why Not Single Payer? Part 6: New "Health Care For America Now" Coalition May Reflect Divisions in the Movement for Universal Healthcare |publisher= "The Huffington Post" |author= Miles Mogulescu |date= 2008-07-09]

History

Healthcare-NOW! was founded in 2004, originally under the name of the Campaign for a National Health Program NOW (CNHP NOW). The first meeting of the coalition was the Campaign for a National Health Program NOW Conference: "Health Care Crisis and Election of 2004." On August 31 and September 1st, 2004, the conference was held as well as a rally during the Republican Convention. [cite web |url= http://weap.org/uploads/cnhp_weap_summary(1).pdf |title= WEAP and the Campaign for a National Health Program |author= Rochelle Robinson |publisher= Women's Economic Agenda Project (weap.org) ] [cite news |url= http://media.www.qcknightnews.com/media/storage/paper564/news/2004/05/19/News/Michal.Moore.Comes.To.Cuny-696800.shtml |title= Michal Moore Comes To CUNY | publisher= The Knight News (student newspaper of Queens College, City University of New York) |date= 2004-05-19 ]

Organizing methodology

Healthcare-NOW! uses various community organizing methods. Strategies and ideas are developed through annual national strategy meetings with volunteer organizers and health care activists around the country, including Rep. John Conyers. [cite news |url= http://www.blackcommentator.com/206/206_national_healthcare_strategy_clement.html |title= A Strategy For Seeking A National Single-Payer Healthcare System That Will Cover Everyone In The United States|author= Marilyn Clement (with Healthcare-NOW!) |date= 2006-11-16 |publisher= The Black Commentator ] In 2007, Healthcare-NOW launched traveling Road Shows promoting single payer reform, as well as co-sponsored an Annual Health Care Justice Vigil held each September in Washington D.C. [cite web |url= http://www.michaelmoore.com/sicko/2007_09_01_archive.html |title= Tracy Pierce Memorial Candlelight Vigil - September 28th, 2007 |publisher= michaelmoore.com |date= 2007-09-29] Other techniques include "Sicko" House Parties [cite web |url= http://www.michaelmoore.com/sicko/2007/11/free-sicko-screening-at-bama.html |title= Free 'SiCKO' Screening at 'Bama-Huntsville |date= 2007-11-19 |publisher= michaelmoore.com ] and Truth Hearings. [cite web |url= http://www.pdamerica.org/articles/alliances/2006-11-15-07-53-01-alliances.php |title= A Strategy for Healthcare-NOW |author= Marilyn Clement (with Healthcare-NOW!) |publisher= Progressive Democrats of America |date= 2006-11-15] [cite web |url= http://legacy.usw.org/usw/program/content/2537.php |title= Steelworkers continue to lead the fight for "HealthCare-NOW!" | publisher= United Steelworkers ] On June 19th, 2008, Healthcare-NOW! joined efforts with other organizations including California Nurses Association, to initiate the National Day of Protest Against Health Insurance Companies. This National Day of Protest took place in 18 cities nation-wide in support of a single payer system. [cite news |url= http://www.medpagetoday.com/PublicHealthPolicy/HealthPolicy/tb/9889 |title= Nationwide Protests Support a Single-Payer Healthcare Plan |author= Todd Neale |date= 2008-06-20 |publisher= MedPage Today ]

Personnel

Healthcare-NOW is comprised of 36 board members, in addition to the board of directors. The National Coordinator is Marilyn Clement.

Board Member co-chairs [cite web|url= http://www.healthcare-now.org/board_of_directors.html |title= Board Of Directors and Board Members | publisher= Healthcare-NOW!]
* Dr Quentin Young, National Coordinator, Physicians for a National Health ProgramFact|date=July 2008
* Leo Gerard, President, United Steelworkers UnionFact|date=July 2008
* Jim Winkler, General Secretary, General Board of Church and Society, United Methodist ChurchFact|date=July 2008
* Rose Ann DeMoro, Executive Director of the California Nurses AssociationFact|date=July 2008

ee also

* Health care reform in the United States

Notes

References

External links

* [http://www.healthcare-now.org Healthcare-NOW! official website]