"Single Payer Unplugged" -- Here's the link to download it:

http://austinahu.org/associations/555/files/Single-Payer_CE.ppt

"Consumer Driven Health Plans, The Sequel" -- Here's the link to it:

http://www.austinahu.org/associations/555/files/CDHP_the_sequel.ppt

If you have a blog or know of a good one that will bring meaningful information or ideas, let us hear from you.  In the meantime, we've discovered this one:

http://mistybaker.blogspot.com -- Misty Baker writes about a fundamental part of the health care debate that, unfortunately, seems to be unknown by a lot of people.  Check it out.

Arguing against SCHIP is not the same thing as arguing against kids.  This commentary / blog makes a lot of sense -- http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/2007/10/17/how-to-argue-against-schip/   Highly recommended if you think you're conservative, too.  The daddy web site, also highly recommended, is www.cato.org

Wall Street Journal Editorial responds to Congressional Committee's attempt to undermine Health Savings Accounts.

Letter to the Editor Printed  -- The Dallas Morning News prints TAHU President Carolyn Goodwin's Letter to the Editor about the latest report on increasing costs in health care and health insurance. 

Michael Moore's Statements on Cancer Treatments Disproved  --  ABC commentator John Stossel takes apart the movie guy's lame argument about the best way to treat cancer.  (downloadable PDF file)

What Works and What Doesn't -- Former U.S. House Speaker New Gingrich compares which works better: the private market or government. (Requires Windows Media Player)

Video Response to the Movie "Sicko" -- So they do it better in Canada?  I don't think so.  Watch this one. (Requires Apple QuickTime)

It's All Your Fault -- Take a deep breath and try to relax before you watch this.  Democratic Party presidential candidate wannabe Dennis Kucinich lays blame.  And this guys wants to be president? 

What They Said Connecticut -- It's hard to believe someone could put this out with a straight face but it's a real commercial in support of universal health care.

Don't Be a Chicken -- It's a cartoon but it's not funny.  It's a real media piece one group put out to push a bill filed in Congress with the caption, The United States National Health Insurance Act.

Pirates of the HealthCare-ibbean  --  A very clever cartoon that skewers health insurance companies.   

Two From Canada -- Real life experiences by Canadians with their health care system:

Brain Surgery -- The Lindsey McCreath Story Hanging by a Thread -- The Reality of Single Tier Health Care

To download the free Apple QuickTime Player, Click Here            To download the free Windows Media Player, Click Here

 

Report from Houston -- I had a chance to take in the HAHU symposium this week.  Great event with lots of political and legislative content, including a lively discussion between Houston Republican state senator Dan Patrick and former Democratic Party governor candidate Chris Bell.  They were good but didn't alarm the crowd nearly as much as the pitch made by Scott McCown executive diretor of the Texas Center for Public Priorities, about why everyone ought to be for the SCHIP expansion that President Bush vetoed.  Applying some "because you do it, too" logic, McCown said that nationally $197 billion is spent for children covered by Medicaid and SCHIP while $147 billion is "spent" on employer-based plans.  The $147 billion apparently is lost revenue because of employer tax deductions for group plans.  McCown failed to add an important fact to both expenditures, though: how many do the plans cover.  Medicaid-SCHIP covers about 34 million kids; employer-based plans cover about 180 million people.  Do the math.  That works out to $5794 per person in the Medicaid-SCHIP scheme, $816 in the other.  Now tell me again, why do we want to expand SCHIP?

NAHU has a very comprehensive resource for you to use: http://nahu.org/legislative/single/index.cfm

It has everything from commentary about Sicko to details about how single-payer will harm consumers to sample "Letters to the Editor" for anyone to use; links to other web sites with good material; power point presentations you can download; flyers you can print out and give to your employer clients and friends.  This ought to be required reading for everyone.

This is from an Austin blog by a guy that is alwayyyyyyyys left-leaning, so it was a big surprise to see him take on Michael Moore.  Check it out and post your own thoughts on there: http://pinkdome.com/archives/2007/07/sicko_and_the_s.html