Emergency Room

Strike Debt demands a single payer medical system.  From the Physicians For A National Health Program email news, an update below on the Rolling Jubilee that bought up and abolished distressed medical debt for 44 people in upstate New York.  As of March 14th, the group announces its second debt buy on behalf of individuals who used emergency rooms in Indiana and Kentucky;  the group is also demanding that America meet this issue head-on by expanding an improved Medicare for the entire country.  

Strike Debt/Rolling Jubilee, an offshoot of Occupy Wall Street that has reportedly raised about $1 million to buy distressed medical debt (for pennies on the dollar), is planning a nationwide week of actions on March 16-23 around the issue of medical debt and medical bankruptcy, culminating in a rally in New York City on March 23. The actions will have a special focus on buying distressed medical debt in Indiana and Kentucky. Rolling Jubilee is explicitly demanding a single-payer health system as part of its call to action. You can listen to PNHP co-founder Dr. Steffie Woolhandler’s talk on a recent radio show about Strike Debt/Rolling Jubilee and the issue of medical bankruptcy here (her part begins at the 31-minute mark); you can also watch her on a HuffPo Live discussion on a related topic (her segment starts at the 2-minute mark). PNHP has also highlighted the problem of medical debt on Facebook and Twitter.

More information on the week of action here at Strike Debt's website.

Representative John Conyers recently reintroduced H.R. 676, "The Improved And Expanded Medicare For All Act" to the 113th Congress.  More information here.