Joanne Tosti-Vasey's Bone Marrow Transplant Story

Joanne Tosti-Vasey, immediate past President of the Pennsylvania NOW and Healthcare for All PA board member, has written this story below on her need for a bone marrow transplant and her struggles with insurance and a link to a similar Good Morning America Story that struck a chord for her.

I received a bone marrow transplant 23 years ago from my identical twin sister. Although I had no problem finding a match, I had to jump through many hoops and barriers put up by the two health insurance companies covering my sister and myself. Because of the support and advocacy I had through the organization where I self-purchased my health insurance (the National Organization for Women), we were finally able to get me the life-saving transplant that I needed. My suggestions to anyone facing a similar situation:
1. Keep a positive attitude just like Erika Turner did.
2. Don't give up and keep fighting against whatever barrier is put in your way.
3. Don't take no for an answer.
4. Tell your success story to others.
5. Be thankful that soon, preexisting conditions will no longer be a reason to refuse medical treatment.
6. If you are politically motivated and don't ever want to see insurance companies fighting over who is NOT going to cover a donor either because "they aren't sick" or because "they aren't on your health insurance policy" (the original reasons my transplant was denied), then consider supporting either a national or state-level universal single-payer health care program where there is only one payer involved and you still get to choose your doctor and treatment plan. For more details on this type of plan, go to Physicians for a National Health Plan at http://www.pnhp.org/.

Cancer Survivor Meets Her Bone Marrow Donor for First Time on 'GMA'

gma.yahoo.comABC News’ Brian O’Keefe reports: Erika Turner’s life as a happily married mother of two came to a screeching halt

Single Payer Activities at the Democratic Convention

From the Progressive Democrats of America. For those of you who will be in Charlotte for the Democratic National Convention there will be events for Single Payer activists.

News About Our Medicare for All Slate
and Convention Activities in Charlotte

Dear Supporter,
On July 3rd I announced that I would join the PDA National Advisory Board, so I could help organize the PDA Medicare for All slate

	Rep. Conyers              Dr. Young
	Join PDA in Charlotte
	Support Progressive Central

during this election cycle. In that short time, we have been very busy and have assembled a great team. We have also raised $20,000 of our announced goal of $50,000 to support that slate!

Click here if you want to donate to help
PDA's Medicare for All slate win this fall!

I have good news to announce--while most of the national groups sat on the sidelines, our team went all out to help re-elect PDA's good friend--and the author of the single-payer health care bill in Congress!--Rep. John Conyers, Jr.
PDA's Mike Hersh was on the ground in Detroit while Mike Fox led the volunteer phone bank team that made GOTV phone calls from all over the country. Thanks to your donations, we were able to help Rep. Conyers overcome a stiff challenge to win his primary with 56% of the vote!
And you will be glad to know that since I last wrote to you, we have added one of the great progressive voices of our time to our slate, Alan Grayson, now running to win back his House seat in Florida. Next week the PDA National Team will be returning to IL-13 for the third month in a row, in our effort to help our ally, Dr. David Gill, win his open seat race. Then for the two weeks after that, the PDA team's focus will be the primary elections in Arizona, where we will be campaigning for two of our favorites, the great Congressman Raul Grijalva plus PDA-endorsed candidate David Schapira.

Please click here to help PDA work in these critical House races!

Finally, I am excited to announce that I will be joining Rep. Raul Grijalva, Rep. John Conyers, Rep. Jim McGovern , Rep. Keith Ellison and Nation writer John Nichols at "Progressive Central" in Charlotte on Tuesday, September 4th, the day the Democratic National Convention kicks off. We will be gathering to discuss how we use our inside/outside strategies to build the progressive wing of the Democratic Party during this tough election season.

Here's the link for PDA's "Progressive Central" sessions; please join us there!

Please join us in Charlotte that day if you can--we need all our progressive voices to help plan our future strategies. And thanks for all you do for a better health care system for everyone!

For Medicare for All,
Dr. Quentin Young
P.S.--I am personally very honored to be part of the luncheon ceremonies on September 4th, where we will be paying tribute to several of our great Medicare for All leaders, including Rep. Conyers, the Communications Workers of America, and National Nurses United.

Update Your PDA Profile

Find out more about Progressive Democrats of America
You are subscribed to Progressive Democrats of America as

Privacy Policy

Click here to unsubscribe

Papa John's Pizza Attacks the Affordable Care Act

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

Jon Stewart skewers how the CEO of Papa Johns pizza, John Schattner, entered the fray on the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) by stating that it would add about $0.11 to $0.14 to the cost of pizza in 2014 when it is fully implemented.  I must confess to liking their pizza and once working for Papa Johns as a delivery driver.  Stewart doesn't quite differentiate between socialism and the affordable care act but he does state that other things can drive up the cost such as the Midwest drought driven by global warming.  

Stewart almost said that a true single payer system could reduce Schattner's costs by taking the profiteering motive out of the health care system (see Real Reasons for High Medical Costs for a review).  Stewart almost said that his employees costs would be lower with no co pays for the ones that are insured and his uninsured drivers would be covered.  Schattner's employees might actually be more productive if they do not have to worry about putting off seeing a doctor until their health problems become enormous.  I am not calling for a boycott or for you to buy more Papa Johns Pizza or Jon Stewart.  Both are equally stupid.  Campaign for a better bill.

**Related Posts**

If Vermont Won't Have Single Payer What Will it Have?

 

WaPo Interactive International Cost Graphic

 

Protecting the Parasites: The Irony of Obamacare

STOP Obamacare in Pennsylvania: Where We Agree with Them

 

Lessons from HBO's 'Weight of the Nation'

Most Recent County Level Uninsured Estimates for Pennsylvania

Here is a review of last year's county level estimates for the Small Area Health Insurance Estimates or SAHIE which were out for the years 2008 and 2009 for each county in the United States.  The 2010 estimates should be out in the fall.  I reported the county estimates for the years 2007, 2008, and 2009 in the 67 counties in Pennsylvania to get an idea of the impact of the recession on the uninsured at the local level in the State.  There is a strong correlation in the rates of uninsured and median housing income for each county accounting for 42% of the variability as can be seen in the above graph. 

For 2009 the top 10 counties in uninsured rate for the state are:

**Update**

I realize that many do not know where the state's 67 counties are located so I've added a Pennsylvania map for reference.  For example Forest is in the Northwest, Union is in the center and you should be able to find Philadelphia.  The three year trend in the uninsured can be seen below.

v

**Related Posts**

Racial and Gender Differences in Pennsylvania's Uninsured

Cindy Purvis and Rebecca Pruveadenti's Interview on Erie Radio.

Rebecca Pruveadnenti and Cindy Purvis gave a nice interview on WATE radio in Erie in August of 2010.   It can be listened to on the link below.

http://www.wqln.org/main/radio/weekend%20All%20things%20erie/podcast/media/wate1008211.mp3

**Related Post**

Rebecca Pruveadenti's Letter Published in the Erie Times

HEALTHY ARTISTS & DAZZLETINE PRESENTS

THE FUTURE OF HEALTH CARE
@ Assemble – 5125 Penn Ave
Friday, August 24th from 7-10pm
$5 suggested donation
free drinks

MICRO-TALKS, CREATIVE WORKSHOP, CONCERT

Micro-Talks from Health Care Advocates: Rob Cullen of WhatIfPost.com, Molly Rush of The Thomas Merton Center and PUSH, Jude Vachon of Be Well Pittsburgh, Julie Sokolow of Healthy Artists

Creative Workshop: Party-goers will free-associate through words and images on what they want for the future of health care.  It can be realistic or fantastical.  You can use your imagination and your experience with the current health care system.  We will provide paper, art supplies, and inspiration, as well as info about the health care systems here and abroad.  Write a poem, draw a picture, write a flash fiction piece.

Dazzletine Concert: The glam-rock band, Dazzletine, will deliver a spectacular performance. Oh, and, dance party!