Coordinated Protest Marches and Rallies, Demanding Health Care for the 99%

Jan. 9, 2012 - PRLog -- On Monday, January 9, members of the California Health Professional Student Alliance (CaHPSA) will march through downtown Sacramento to the steps of the Capitol, where they will be joined by over 1,000 people gathered in support of single payer, universal healthcare in California. The rally will be held at noon and will be followed by legislative visits between members of CaHPSA and elected officials to address the flaws in the current healthcare system and to express support for Senate Bill 810, the California Universal Healthcare Act, sponsored by Senator Mark Leno.

In Los Angeles the Campaign for a Healthy California and its affiliates will host a New Orleans-style Jazz Funeral Procession in conjunction with the Wellness Committee of Occupy Los Angeles on January 9, 2012, kicking off at Pershing Square at 11 am and ending at 8th and Figueroa, home of insurance giant Anthem Blue Cross. The event is to acknowledge and honor those who have suffered and died as a result of the harmful practices of the health insurance industry. The march will be followed by a Speak-Out, and will offer individuals the opportunity to share their personal struggles with the health insurance industry.

These events are part of a nationwide movement towards universal healthcare; in March 2011 Vermont became the first state to pass a bill enacting single payer and Montana Governor Bill Schweitzer has recently announced his intent to pursue single payer in his state. California’s SB 810 has twice passed through both houses, only to be vetoed by former Governor Schwarzenegger. It would save the state a significant amount of money and provide all Californians with comprehensive medical, dental, and vision care. Paul Song, a prominent Los Angeles oncologist, said, “I have seen too many of my insured patients go bankrupt from medical related expenses despite having insurance. The current system has failed them. Additionally, my uninsured patients often present with much more advanced disease as they have not been able to see a doctor or put off much needed care.” These demonstrations will raise awareness of the alarming number of individuals who have been negatively impacted by lack and inadequacy of coverage in the current healthcare system.

Key people expected to speak in Sacramento include Senator Mark Leno, Dr. Quentin Young, former personal physician to Martin Luther King, Jr. and the national coordinator of Physicians for a National Health Program, and Dr. Claudia Fagen, past-president of Physicans for a National Health Program.

Key people expected to speak in Los Angeles include Dr. Robert Peck from the Physicians for a National Health Program, Lindsay Mofford an individual whose personal experience highlights many of the most egregious practices of the health insurance industry.

For More information on this event visit http://www.cahpsa.org/CaHPSA/