U.S. Social Forum Workshop- June 22nd to 26th, 2010, Detroit, MI
Health Care Reform- Where do we go from here?
The People’s Health Movement and many grassroots organizations have been working towards universal, comprehensive health care in the United States for decades. On March 23rd, 2010, President Obama signed health care reform, “The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” into law. Despite this historic advance, the struggle for health care and healthful communities in the United States continues, especially for vulnerable groups including women, immigrants, and the working poor.
This year at the U.S. Social Forum in Detroit, Doctors for Global Health and the People's Health Movement will conduct a workshop that will give an overview of the new health care reform law, and take a critical view of health care reform’s dependence on private insurance companies for mandated coverage. We will address existing health care disparities in the United States, with a special focus on the health of women, immigrant groups, and low-income communities, while targeting gaps in the current health care reform law to fully protect these groups.
With workshop participants, we will promote opportunities to revitalize the principles of the health for all. Specifically, we will focus on concrete actions to advocate for comprehensive health care for women, including access to abortions. We will advocate for all immigrants to be eligible for Medicaid and health services immediately, and to drop the five-year wait period. We will also discuss ways that communities can propose and pass universal single payer legislation on a local or state level. Please join us!!
