Here’s a recap of what the Single Payer Committee got done:

• We hosted monthly meetings to share information about the NY Health Act and to coordinate strategy and tactics across the state, with guest speakers including state legislators, healthcare policy experts, union leaders and grassroots organizations

• We spearheaded and/or participated in statewide NYHA organizing efforts including lobby visits, canvassing, phone banks, rallies and rolling out the Candidate Pledge

• And we helped shape and coordinate the statewide Campaign for NY Health strategy as a member of the newly formed Steering Committee 

Our five working groups performed most of this work. They were:

People2People Working Group (Erl Kimmich):

• Participated or led at least one canvass per week and usually two from April through December with some slacking in the summer months. We helped in the collection of about 1000 postcards and had hundreds of face to face conversations by the end of Dec.

• During the campaign week of action we hosted canvasses daily and organized a Rally at the State office building and one at Cousin's office

• Nov. 20th we led a rally at 125th and Lenox which had decent turn out and great speakers

• Members participated in campaign sponsored social media events

• We hosted Art Builds to print T-shirts and posters and create artwork in support of our action like the giant check by Caroline Cutlip that we tried to present to Cousins at her office, but were denied access to her staff even.

• Our leader and chair Naomi Zwede honored invitations to speak at many events

• We hosted an almost 2 hour educational virtual town hall and discussion of the Health Act with assembly and senate members and medical professionals on the panel

• Through our contacts we were able to connect NYPAN's labor committee with United Electric Workers who since have endorsed the health Act.

• Participated in the Campaign's big April "die in" in Albany

• Created strategy of massive outreach - ACT - share and sign up here!

Labor Working Group (Jeff Mikkelson):

• Workshopped and produced a new NYHA union outreach flyer

• Formed an alliance with the Cross Retirees Organizing Committee and mutually supported their fight against the privatization of health benefits for municipal retirees

• Successfully lobbied the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America to become the most recent union to endorse NYHA

Medical Professionals Working Group (Donald Gardner): 

• Worked to build support among medical professionals, such as nurses, therapists (physical, occupational, mental health), and hospital/clinic/nursing home employees, pharmacists and home health aides physicians, non-physicians, nurses, PAs, etc., as well as office/business/practice managers in all medical and clinical environments

• Engaged with upstate and Finger Lakes region physicians, hospitals and educators and local officials to help spread the word

• Produced a ‘volunteer-to-provider’ letter for NYPAN representatives to deliver to their providers during their own encounters, and a ‘provider-to-provider’ letter for the doctors to forward to their colleagues and engage more healthcare NYHA supporters

• These letters were shared with key representatives of Physicians for a National Health Plan (PNHP) to extend the distribution of letters

• Through our outreach to these providers, and their outreach to their colleagues, we seek to share the information about the NYHA and/or correct any mis-information

Research Working Group (Javier Anderson and Steven Cecchini):

Researchers are the unsung heroes of the Committee, finding relevant, useful, actionable information about any aspect of our work at any time! One of their long-term projects this year was development of our new Health Act Calculator (and an accompanying phone version) to let people see exactly what they would save under the Health Act.

Electoral Working Group (Ting Barrow):

• Helped petition to get all of NYPAN’s 30+ endorsed candidates on the ballot for the June or August primaries.

• Worked to get electeds to sign the Candidate Pledge to support the Health Act

While our efforts were not sufficient to bring the Health Act to a vote in 2022, we have not stopped, nor will we stop in developing strategies to build our base of engaged activists and spread the word about the Health Act to the millions of New Yorkers who have not heard of it.

Our team continues to grow and we are looking for volunteers. Let's go! This bill is ours to win.

healthcare ACTIONS in 2019

With the Democratic surge in the 2018 elections, which gave them a clear majority in the Senate, we seemed poised to pass the Health Act. However, as often, many politicians who supported the Act when they knew it wouldn’t pass now stepped back. With extensive lobbying throughout the session from NYPAN members and others, many of these were pulled back into sponsoring the Act, but we were left just one vote short.

In particular, however, the “Long Island Six” did not join, and activists will have to work hard to bring them around.

In the meantime, we continue to broaden our scope to include several kinds of base-building in order to reach as many people as possible. Here’s how YOU can get involved:

• Get resources: at the Campaign for NY Health website

• Talk to people: the “grapevine” is still a wonderful way to let people know about what a single payer system can do for them.

• Talk to groups: endorsements from groups are good, too, from any group you belong to! They can also endorse on the Campaign for NY Health website.

• Talk to businesses: no matter what size, business endorsements help a LOT. There is no money involved and no commitment. They can just add their name as supporters of the Act at the Campaign for NY Health website.

• Talk to doctors: because of their status, endorsements by doctors are particularly important. They can sign up on the PNHP website (Physicians for a National Health Program).

• Talk to public officials: don’t forget about talking to your elected officials at both the state and local level, including your City Council member and members of the local Community Board.

• Host a party: It’s easy, and it’s a great way to let more people know about single payer healthcare. We can help provide a speaker, literature and other assistance.  MORE

• Host a public event: getting a larger group together is similar to a party but can bring in more people. All you need is a public space and to put out the word. The campaign will provide one or more speakers, possibly including even Senator Rivera or Assemblyman Gottfried if the event is public enough! Contact us here for help.

• Approach schools: School administrators and PTA groups can be approached, with the goal of presenting to large groups of staff and parents, and we’ll be happy to help with that, too!

• Post flyers and cards: put up the summary in your building, church, synagogue or workplace. Collect signatures from people on the postcards!

healthcare ACTIONS IN 2018

After numerous meetings with Health Chair Mark Levine, and some help from AM Richard Gottfried (lead sponsor on the Health Act), we finally got the New York City Council to pass a resolution in favor of the Health Act.

In Albany, the 2017 legislature closed without the NY Health Act coming to the floor for a vote in the state Senate. This means that we will start over in 2018: the Act should pass the state Assembly again quite easily, and is likely to stall again in the state Senate. Fortunately, Trump’s behavior in Washington has shaken many in New York, and the popular demand for “Medicare for All” is rising, along with an understanding of how our own Democratic state Senators are enabling Republicans and holding this progressive legislation out of reach. IDC senators who hope to keep their seats should be motivated to support the NYHA more strongly. Also, several special elections must be called and could lead to an outright Democratic majority in the state Senate. In the meantime, we continue to broaden our scope to include several kinds of base-building in order to reach as many people as possible. Here are someways you can get involved:

• Talk to people: the “grapevine” is still a wonderful way to let people know about what a single payer system can do for them.

• Talk to groups: endorsements from groups are good, too, from any group you belong to! They can also endorse on the Campaign for NY Health website.

• Talk to businesses: no matter what size, business endorsements help a LOT. There is no money involved and no commitment. They can just add their name as supporters of the Act at the Campaign for NY Health website.

• Talk to doctors: because of their status, endorsements by doctors are particularly important. They can sign up on the PNHP website (Physicians for a National Health Program).

• Talk to public officials: don’t forget about talking to your elected officials at both the state and local level, including your City Council member and members of the local Community Board.

• Host a party: It’s easy, and it’s a great way to let more people know about single payer healthcare. The Campaign for NY Health will provide a speaker and other assistance.

• Host a public event: getting a larger group together is similar to a party but can bring in more people. All you need is a public space and to put out the word. The campaign will provide one or more speakers, possibly including even Senator Rivera or Assemblyman Gottfried if the event is public enough! Contact us here.

• Approach schools: School administrators and PTA groups can be approached, with the goal of presenting to large groups of staff and parents, and we’ll be happy to help with that, too!

• Post flyers and cards: put up the summary in your building, church, synagogue or workplace. Collect signatures from people on the postcards!

healthcare Actions in 2017

In the Spring of 2017, four NYPAN chapters and two DSA working groups formed a coalition to put pressure on NY State Senator Simcha Felder. Felder was the lone “Democrat” who did not sponsor the NYHA. Throughout the spring and summer of 2017, committee members canvassed and postered in his district, handing out and posting thousands of flyers. In addition, we took out ads in the Torah Times, in an attempt to influence the rabbis who are believed to control Felder. And at the end of the summer, a noisy sit-in was staged at Felder’s office and put on Facebook.

Later in 2017, a small group of key healthcare activists met for a downstate strategy meeting with Katie Robbins, Executive Director of the Metro Chapter of PNHP (Physicians for a National Health Program). We have been working closely with this organization for many months. Together, we identified roughly 60 groups working for the NYHA in downstate alone. On August 12th, we organized a large strategy meeting for these groups, at which we identified common strategies and worked to establish areas where we could work together. Point people for each geographic area were assigned to coordinate future work and to help new groups and individuals link with existing groups in their areas. A follow-up meeting took place in the winter, and more are planned.

For more information, contact tingb@nypan.org or stevenc@nypan.org