Maryland Economic Impact Study
November 1, 2010
We need your help to pay for a State of Maryland Economic Impact Study. Maryland single-payer advocates are increasingly energized at the state level because of the general dissatisfaction with the health insurance reform that was recently passed into law by the federal government that:
- will leave more 20 million people uninsured and an even greater number underinsured.
- does little to lower the cost of healthcare and will therefore be financially unsustainable.
- does not prevent medical bankruptcies, over 60% of bankruptcies are caused in part or in total by medical bills.
- leaves the private insurers, not healthcare professionals and their patients, in control of medical decisions; we need to get the insurance companies out of the exam room.
- restricts choice of doctors and hospitals and breaks long term provider-patient relationships; when patients must change to a new insurer with a different approved panel of providers.
We are making a serious effort to pass legislation that will create a state single payer system in Maryland that would be publicly funded and privately delivered. The legislation is called the Maryland Health Security Act of 2010 and it was introduced in the Maryland State Senate (SB682) and House of Delegates (HB767) with 12 and 38 co-sponsors respectively. Both bills had hearings and committee votes but neither made it to the floor.
We need an economic impact study to persuade legislators and the community at large of the significant advantages of single payer/Medicare for all system. Numerous studies have shown that a one-payer system dramatically lowers health care expenditures by eliminating massive amounts of administrative waste and by enabling bulk buying of pharmaceuticals and medical equipment, enough savings to finance an Improved Medicare for All System. The study will also help specify the means of financing in the Maryland Health Security act.
We have negotiated with several vendors and have settled on the Lewin Group. They have a long track record with studies of this type and did one in 2000 on the effects of a single-payer system versus a multi-payer system in Maryland. Because we have teamed with Pennsylvania and Minnesota, we have gotten a significant discount. We have raised over $30,000 and our goal is $40,000.
The Lewin Group is now owned by Ingenix a subsidiary of United Health Care. Based on recent work by the Lewin Group we made the judgment that this has not affected their impartiality and may actually strengthen the believability of their study because some people would expect bias against single payer.
Your contribution is tax deductible and is made through PNHP (Physicians for a National Health Program), a 501.c.3 organization under the IRS code. You will receive a letter of acknowledgment and thanks from PNHP for donating to the Maryland Economic Impact Study.
There are two ways to make a contribution for the study:
1. Check: make it out to PNHP (Physicians for a National Health Program) and mail it to PNHP c/o Dr. Eric Naumburg, 6163 Devon Drive, Columbia, MD 21044
2. Credit Card: Click here to donate online.
For questions about and more information about the survey, email enaumburg@hotmail.org or call 443-562-6562.
Sign Up
Sign up for our free email list to receive updates.
Volunteer
To get the Healthcare is Human Right Campaign rolling we are going to need lots of volunteers. Please go to our Take Action Page and tell us how can help. There are many different kinds of opportunities. Thanks.
Donate
Time to Join or Renew Membership in Healthcare-Now of Maryland.
Donate here online $20 which covers 2021 dues. Or mail check with your snail address for $15.00. Either way, just click "Donate" and follow instructions.
Join our Facebook group.
