HomeHealth Care Reform Team

For many years, the LWV-NWMC has had a Health Care Committee, including members who are actively involved with the LWV national networking group “Healthcare Reform for the U.S.” (HCR4US).

The local committee has presented educational programs for our local League, other Leagues across state, at our state conventions, and to other community groups in Maricopa County. They have developed a PowerPoint and several handouts which they have shared locally and nationally.

WHAT WE ARE DOING NATIONALLY

Our local Health Care Committee was instrumental in helping develop a Health Care Tool Kit with the national LWV networking group HCR4US. It can be found on the LWVUS website at LWV Health Care Reform https://lwvhealthcarereform.org/

It is rich with resources for both the beginner or an advocate who has been working on healthcare for many, many years. It is a repository for multiple articles, program ideas, documentaries, action items, links to other organizations which are working on healthcare, etc. It is a wealth of educational information. Since many Leaguers and others have spent years gathering information and working on the issues surrounding healthcare, this group wanted to make these materials easily accessible to others.

The website and network are dedicated to educating and mobilizing League members to work toward legislation that enacts the goals of our LWVUS health care position, with a strong focus on expanded and improved Medicare for All (a single payer system. The materials are varied for different audiences, and they include pointers to resources for those who want to delve more deeply, and/or would like to do programming for local League or community meetings.

League Position on Health Care Reform

Single Payer What Is It?

Single Payer What It Is Not

How We Will Pay for It

Proposed Legislation

Media Links

Resources

Medicare for All Supporters

How to Get Involved

2017

The Health Care Committee was formed in March – 2017 – in response to the federal legislation to repeal and replace the ACA.
After 2 meetings, Committee members agreed to prepare issue papers on different aspects of the proposed health care legislation.
LWV-Metro Phoenix members were invited to join the project
Between May and July, 8 papers were completed, posted on LWV-AZ , and LWV-Metro Phx Websites, and disseminated to LWV’s across the country.
Copies of all papers were hand carried to the offices of Senators McCain and Flake by 3 Committee members.
LWV-NWMC Health Care Committee/Research Team

Lois Brechner, LWV-NWMC

Sandy Collier, LWV-NWMC

Mary Ellen Cunningham, LWV-MetroPhx

Marjorie Dion, LWV-NWMC

Michelle Dorsey, President, LWV-MetroPhx

*Valerie Ellien, LWV-NWMC

Jana Granillo, LWV-MetroPhx

*Linda Napier, LWV-NWMC

Jacquie Rose, LWV-NWMC, Publicity

In October the League devoted an evening meeting to "Health Care Around the World" and an update on the ACA presented by Health Care Co-Chairs Linda Napier and Valerie Ellien

2018

In March we had a joint meeting with Phoenix focusing on updates in Health Care. 4 members of the committee spoke on their areas of expertise.
The Crisis in Pharmaceutical Costs – Michelle Dorsey The Arizona Child Fatality Report, “Why Are Our Children Dying” – Mary Ellen Cunningham
The frustrations with the Arizona Medicaid program and ACA coverage - Jana Granillo

2019

May - Our League sponsored a Resolution at the LWV-AZ state convention, which was passed by the delegates. It states:
Whereas the League of Women Voters of the United States believes quality health care at an affordable cost should be available to all U.S. residents; and
Whereas the current and proposed systems do not achieve the League goals of affordability and access to everyone; and
Whereas an improved Medicare for all, a publicly funded and privately delivered national health care plan, is consistent with this goal;
Therefore, be it resolved, we the delegates assembled at the 2019 LWVAZ Convention, call upon the LWVAZ Board to support the education and advocacy of Single Payer, and endorse and reaffirm the Resolution passed at the 2010 LWVUS Convention calling on the LWVUS Board to advocate strongly for bills that establish a Single Payer healthcare system.
Two Healthcare presentations were also presented at the LWV Annual Convention
In June the committee co-chairs, Linda Napier and Carol Mattoon, wrote 2 opinion letters in rebuttal to misinformation articles presented by 2 Senators in the The AZ Capital Times newspaper. The Medicare for All (M4A) articles were published in the Capital Times and papers throughout the valley. Although the word limit was 300 words, all papers printed the 700 word articles in their entirety.
On September 7^th, Linda Napier gave a presentation at Yavapai College for LWV – "Single Payer Medical Insurance, Facts vs Misinformation and Advocacy Suggestions".
On November 19^th Linda Napier and Carol Mattoon presented it at The Terraces for Metro Phoenix.

2020

January 9^th, 2020 Presentation for AAUW Sun City – “Healthcare, You Do Have a Choice”
January 21^st, 2020 Presentation for The Terraces residents – "Healthcare Choices: Facts and the Myths"
March 10^th, 2020 Presentation for LWV-NWMC – "Choices for America’s Healthcare Future Myths vs Facts." 12:00 p.m. meeting
Our article, "Tying Health Insurance to Employment is a Disaster" was published in the Capital times.
Great publicity in valley papers about our presentations and our articles along with pictures.
All Future presentations were canceled due to the COVID Pandemic.
The in-person LWV National Convention was canceled due to Covid and LWVUS quickly put together a Zoom convention. Our Healthcare Committee along with the national LWV networking group, "Healthcare Reform for the U.S." (HC4AUS), presented a very well attended and received caucus at the convention (approximately 600 in attendance).