PNHP Winter Meeting Minutes

PNHP-Minnesota Chapter Winter Meeting Notes

1/20/08
Attendees: Dick Adair, Becca Brackett, Marianne Clinton-McCausland, Elizabeth Frost, Jack Garland, Maria Kaefer, Faith Kidder, Jim Letts, Paul Pentel, Ann Settgast, Bill Spinelli, Caroline Toll

2. Report on the PNHP Annual Meeting in Washington DC, November 2007

Ann & Elizabeth met w/ legislative assistants to Representatives Betty McCollum and Tim Walz while in DC. Both need follow-up visits in MN – neither are signed on to HR 676 at present. Keith Ellison is currently the only MN representative on the bill.

Jim Oberstar mentioned by Jim Letts as a possible target for another MN HR 676 signer in the House. Are you in his district? Would you like to meet with him and Elizabeth & Ann?

Please write a letter asking your representative to sign on!

Ann & Elizabeth attended the PNHP National meeting and the Leadership Training Institute the day before. We met many colleagues at the national level, and the weekend was educational and inspiring.

4. Chapter website – currently in production thanks to Caitlin Spinelli-Moore (daughter of Bill Spinelli). Preliminary version can be viewed at cspinellimoore.com/pnhpindex.html. Several changes coming before this goes live, but please give us your suggestions.
5. Results of December mailing – 50 replies from ~ 185

1. ~ $2600 collected to begin our chapter fund! Chapter checking account has been opened, and thank you notes are nearly complete.

2. Jim Letts volunteered to be the chapter treasurer. THANK YOU.

5. HR 676 Resolution signatures

1. Currently ~ 110 signers – we all agreed we can get more. If even 10 of us fill our sheet, this would double the number. Please help! A new sheet and resolution are attached along with the list of current signers.

2. We reviewed the names of the signers and agreed that this list should be used as a tool in our future endeavors to reach a goal of 500 signatures in the next 6 months (Maria Kaefer).
3. Discussed best places to publish an ad: eg. MN Medicine, Metro Doctors or MN Physician magazines given high cost of Star Trib and Pioneer Press space. Paul Pentel will contact the MMA regarding advice on the best way to reach the most MDs with an ad (this ad would contain a link to the website for additional signers to join the list).
4. Idea of additional mass mailing (to include list of current names as an enclosure) with the following possible target groups suggested:
1. MMA – Paul Pentel will investigate possibility of getting a list.
2. MN licensing board – Maria Kaefer will investigate same.
3. ACP – This list may be quite useful given recent ACP position paper in the 1/1/08 issue (which could be referenced in a mailing to its MN members). Ann Settgast will investigate possibility of getting this list.
4. Physicians who have contributed to various campaigns sympathetic to single-payer – Jim Letts will look into such a list.

6. Minnesota Health Act (state single-payer bill or MHA)

1. New MN state legislative session begins 2/12/08

2. Elizabeth introduced Governor Pawlenty’s Health Care Access Commission and the Recommendations of his Transformation Task Force which will become public any time – she alerted us to an analysis of these recommendations written by Kip Sullivan which help to explain them and their weaknesses – attached.
3. The bill was discussed at length by the members with good points brought by all. Elizabeth reviewed key features of a single-payer proposal (as outlined by the national PNHP office). She acknowledged strengths of the current state bill – eg. item 21.8 which prohibits health plans being sold that provide the same services as the MN Health Plan.
4. Regarding PNHP-MN endorsement of the bill…most were in favor of endorsement, but there were concerns brought forward:
1. Concern that we are endorsing a bill with little likelihood of passage which may make us appear less mainstream
2. Concern that the timing of this bill should come after the Constitutional amendment passes declaring health care as a right and once there is recognition that the only way to achieve this goal is single-payer.
3. Concern regarding taking away Medicare from Minnesotans
5. Consensus reached in favor of endorsement given the positive impact of being unified w/ other single-payer advocacy groups and the potential for using the bill as an educational tool and conversation point.
6. We agreed that as a chapter of PNHP (N being for national) our focus should remain mostly on attainment of a national single-payer system, with acknowledgement that endorsing the MHA in no way negates this.

7. News & events

1. ACP endorsement of single payer national health insurance as "one pathway" to universal coverage, 12/07 (Annals 1/1/08 issue)

2. Air America’s “Of the People” interview /call-in show Sunday afternoons, 3-4 PM (AM 950) - series regarding single-payer and the MHCA as the solution to the health coverage crisis– first episode 1/6/08. More to come.

3. Caucuses 2/5/08 – MUHCC caucus resolution in favor of single-payer discussed and its use encouraged by all PNHP members at their own caucuses – we need to help get resolutions passed in as many precincts as possible!

4. Road show and Rally for MHA 2/6/08-2/11/08 by the MN Health Reform Caucus (group of MN DFL legislators) press conference with rally 2/11/08 at 11:15am at the State Office Building, 100 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, in support of the MHA. Please attend and wear garb identifying you as an MD in order to capitalize on “earned media” (ie, being approached to speak to media w/o arranging it yourself).

5. Rotary clubs – speaking engagement arrangements in progress. Morry Hodges spoke to the Minneapolis South club on 1/17/08.

8. Important dates

1. Speakers training – date to be determined. Will be a Sunday afternoon in March.

2. Next chapter meeting will be Sunday April 13, 2008 from 4-6pm.