The Great LA Health Care Rally August 11, 2007

LA’s largest-ever health reform rally, organized by a new coalition of grassroots, faith and community groups and labor unions, will challenge California leaders to eliminate for-profit health insurance companies from health care and guarantee universal coverage for all residents.

Staged on the south lawn of LA’s City Hall, at First and Spring Streets, the rally will be a two-part event to celebrate the 365th day of a record-setting OneCareNow statewide educational campaign for SB 840 (Kuehl).

The campaign was launched on August 12, 2006 in Morro Bay and will use this August 11 event to reveal plans for “veto-proofing” the SB 840 single-payer legislation. A similar policy version of the bill was passed by a majority of the California Assembly and Senate last August but vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger in September, 2006.

California is the first state with detailed legislation that supporters say provides the solution to the very problem raised in the new Michael Moore film, “Sicko”, that for-profit insurance is a major cause of today’s health care crisis. Under SB 840, all private and public insurance funding would be consolidated into one publicly funded, non-profit
insurance plan that would cut overhead costs by up to 18%. According to independent Lewin study data, administrative savings will enable free choice of doctors and full coverage for all needed care for all California residents, regardless of employment status.

The rally will begin with a procession of “hearses” driving from Santa Monica to LA City Hall representing the Institute of Medicine estimate of 50 persons who die each day in the U.S. because they lack health insurance.

The rally, which starts at 1:00 PM, will feature entertainment with Lily Tomlin, live music, celebrity hosts, victims of the health care crisis, and inspirational talks from California reform leaders. Scheduled speakers include State Senator Sheila Kuehl (author of SB 840), Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi, Dolores Huerta, Maria Elena
Durazo, Andrew McGuire of the OneCareNow campaign and leaders of the State Strategy Group for SB 840.

SB 840, reintroduced February 27 by Senator Kuehl, currently boasts some 43 co-authors and was passed by a 61% majority vote in the Senate on June 6. The Great LA Health Care Rally Steering Committee is co-chaired by Jim Hilfenhaus (Laborers’ Local 300), Jose Morales (CSEA) and George Savage (HCA/OCN).

Official Website: http://www.onecarenow.org/events/81107.htm