Hello,

We’ve been busy with new and familiar actions. Our first online Book Club Discussion was a success as well as our third year tabling at the Los Angeles/Long Beach Harbor Labor Coalition Annual Labor Day Event.

We provide petitions for you to sign, news and educational information. Since we don’t have active CalCare legislation, we’re pivoting to improved Medicare for All, also known as a national single-payer system. 

Our HC4US website continues to be an excellent resource for education and news about single-payer/Medicare for All.

Members of HC4US talked to union folks about the need for single-payer, improved Medicare for All on Labor Day. Congress needs to keep hearing from us.

Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) and Representative Ro Khanna (D-CA) introduced the Green New Deal for Health, the boldest plan yet to defend American patients, healthcare workers, and community clinics from climate-driven illness and disaster. Add your name as a citizen co-sponsor.

On September 1st, HC4US had our inaugural Book Club discussion on Zoom with panelists Wendell Potter, Sheila Bates and public health educator Jacqueline Hernandez. Our chair, Erika Feresten moderated and asked the panel questions related to the book, Growing Costs of U.S. Health Care: Corporate Power vs. Human Rights by John Geyman, M.D.. We were pleased to have several of Dr. Geyman’s family members in attendance as well as Don McCanne.

In case you couldn’t attend, a video of the discussion is on YouTube.

This is our 3rd year participating at the Los Angeles/Long Beach Harbor Labor Coalition Annual Parade-Picnic-Rally in Wilmington.

Recognize anyone? First we have U.S. Representative Maxine Waters (also known as Auntie Maxine) holding our flyer and speaking with our Co-Chair, Gina Viola. In the center there’s LA County Supervisor Hilda Solis with our Corresponding Secretary, Carol Fodera. And in the 3rd photo we have Carol, our Chair, Erika Feresten and a fellow believer in Medicare for All. 

We table not only to explain about single-payer, what we’ve learned from CalCare bill campaigns and the status of federal Medicare for All legislation, but also to listen and learn from the public.

Sara Nelson, the international president of the Association of Flight Attendants – CWA, AFL-CIO was interviewed by Amy Goodman on Democracy Now. Sarapassionately explains the heroism and solidarity of the Flight 93 crew and passengers on 9/11, the aftermath of financial loss to the flight attendants union health care benefits and the urgent need for Medicare for All. 

Listen to Dr. Elisabeth Potter explain how the AMA (American Medical Association) makes money from owning the billing codes and controlling their value.

In his book, Growing Costs of U.S. Health Care: Corporate Power vs. Human Rights, Dr. Geyman identifies the AMA as one of the 4 entities (he includes Health Insurance, Big Pharma and the Hospital Industry) that corrupted the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

According to a July 2026 Yale University analysis, a universal, single-payer health care system would save the U.S. $1 trillion AND about 114,000 lives every year! Read the article by Adam Kovac in Scientific American HERE.

In the Health Justice Monitor, Reed Abelsonof the New York Times reports 2027 will bring a sharp increase in the cost of health insurance that employees will have to bear. You can also read Don McCanne’s comment in support of single-payer, improved Medicare for All.

ORGANIZE. AGITATE. EDUCATE. LEGISLATE.

THANK YOU!