The Yes Men, who are described as a group of "social engineering activists," printed and distributed over a million remarkably realistic fake copies of the New York Times from the future (July 4th, 2009) featuring happy headlines such as 'Iraq war ends' and 'Nation sets its sights on building a sane economy'.

Of interest to Single Payer advocates was an article entitled : "National Health Insurance Act Passes", the act in question is HR-676. From the fake article:

H.R. 676, the United States National Health Insurance Act, also known as “expanded and improved Medicare for all,” has moved through Congress, and is expected to be signed into law shortly. The legislation provides publicly funded health insurance, with a free choice of health care providers, for every United States citizen and permanent resident.

After the bill passed, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi declared, “We can now proudly say that the United States has caught up with the rest of the developed world in granting all our citizens access to high-quality, comprehensive medical care.”

Prior to the bill’s passage, the U.S. health care system was widely regarded to be in a state of severe crisis. Over 46 million Americans have been without health insurance and another 50 million have been under-insured. Despite spending more money per capita on health care than any other nation, the U.S. has lagged behind many countries in such key health-related categories as life expectancy, infant mortality, and preventable deaths. The Institute of Medicine estimates that in recent years approximately 22,000 people have died annually in the U.S. due to a lack of health insurance. Furthermore, nearly one million Americans, many who have private health insurance plans, have filed for bankruptcy each year because they have been unable to pay medical bills. In recent polls, a clear majority of Americans have said they believe government should guarantee health care for all U.S. residents.

Despite growing popular support for a single-payer system, Pelosi acknowledged that Congress would not have voted for this bill without the dedicated grassroots organizing of national groups like Healthcare-NOW and Physicians for a National Health Program, regional groups like the California Nurses Association and the New York-based Private Health Insurance Must Go Coalition, and over 450 union organizations across the country that had endorsed H.R. 676. Pelosi said that many formerly undecided congressional representatives were also swayed by seeing Michael Moore’s film, “Sicko,” and by the cogent arguments presented in a 2008 pocket-sized book, “10 Excellent Reasons for National Health Care,” edited by Mary E. O’Brien and Martha Livingston, that was given to every member of Congress.

 Click here to read the entire fake New York Times article.

Monday, November 10th, 8pm
The Poetry Project at St. Marks Church
131 E. 10th St., NYC
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it / 212-674-0910
$8 general admission
 
There is a growing movement across the U.S. to support a single-payer, national health care system that would provide health care for all. Currently, over 47 million Americans are without health insurance and another 50 million are under-insured. More than 18,000 people die every year because they have no medical insurance. The Poetry Project is pleased to host this benefit for two of the leading health-care activist groups based in New York City: Healthcare-NOW (www.healthcare-now.org), and the Private Health Insurance Must Go Coalition (www.phimg.org).

Featured poets, performers, and speakers include: David Amram, Andy Clausen, Suheir Hammad, David Henderson, Eliot Katz, Rachel Levitsky, Akilah Oliver, Reno, Katie Robbins, Ajamu Sankofa, Frank Sherlock, Stacy Szymaszek, Steven Taylor, Rodrigo Toscano, and Anne Waldman.
 
 

In mid-November 2008, the Private Health Insurance Must Go Coalition (PHIMG) will organize two important events--a demonstration and a teach-in--to help build the movement for a national single-payer health care system that would guarantee health care for all U.S. residents, regardless of immigration status. PHIMG is a New York City-based activist coalition of over two dozen organizations working to secure health care as a human right and to end the nation's health care crisis. PHIMG is supporting HR 676, a single-payer bill introduced by Rep. John Conyers, which has over 90 cosponsors in the House and has been endorsed by over 450 labor and community groups across the U.S.

To view and print the flyers below you'll need to be sure you have the free Adobe Reader.

To download the file just click the thumbnail image. Each printed page produces two copies of the flyer. You can cut them with scissors or if you print a large number, take them to a Kinkos and they will cut them with a machine for about $3.

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