An Action Plan for 2005

by Cynthia Pearson, Executive Director ,

I’ve been thinking about what it will take to bring universal health care to this country. As I write, I don’t know who our next president will be, only that neither President Bush nor Senator Kerry offered plans to move us significantly closer to this goal. Given that more than 45 million people are uninsured and millions more are underinsured, it’s clear that we have a lot of work to do regardless of who is elected.

So here it is: my three-part strategy for 2005.

First, let’s hold the government accountable for creating universal health care, in keeping with NWHN’s belief that the government has an obligation to safeguard the health of all people. Sometimes government officials propose private solutions to the current crisis, such as health care savings accounts. Private solutions don't go far enough.

Second, let’s acknowledge what is standing in the way of government action. The government of every other wealthy country has accepted this responsibility, so why hasn’t ours? The main barrier, I believe, is the pharmaceutical industry.

The United States is the global profit center for “big pharma,” the only wealthy country that doesn’t regulate the price of medicines. Exploiting this opportunity, the pharmaceutical industry overall has a whopping 17 percent profit margin – nearly five times that of all Fortune 500 firms, according to Dr. Marcia Angell, former editor-in-chief of the New England Journal of Medicine. These profits enable drug companies to employ over 600 lobbyists – that’s more than one for each member of Congress and collectively enough corporate muscle to enact such anti-consumer laws as the new Medicare prescription drug plan, which forbids the government from negotiating with drug companies for lower prices.

Third, let’s take action. Activists must challenge the financial power and moral authority of the pharmaceutical industry. We can value life-saving drugs while insisting that the industry’s excesses be reined in. Find a universal health care group in your state or community, and start working to change things. And help build awareness of the excesses and false claims of big pharma. To that end, watch for reviews in this newsletter of two excellent books: Overdosed America: The Broken Promise of American Medicine, by John Abramson, MD, and The Truth About Drug Companies: How They Deceive Us and What To Do About It, by Dr. Marcia Angell.