Health Care
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April 18, 2012 | 7pm
First Congregational Church, Portland
Everyone needs health care throughout their life. Before the era of private and public health care systems, it was pay as you go. Health care was segregated by income level -- with some exceptions -- just like housing, transportation and higher education. The system has transformed.
Many consider health care to be a basic right. Problem is, at seventeen percent of our economy, that's an expensive right. And we're getting less for our money than many other developed nations, (less than some developing countries as well). We're stuck arguing about the inefficiency of government (despite the cost effectiveness of veteran's Affairs and Medicare) versus the rapaciousness of private insurers (many of which are nonprofits).
But what do we want from our health care system in the first place?
Wendell Potter
Following a 20-year career as a corporate public relations executive, Potter left his position as head of communications for CIGNA, one of the nation's largest health insurers, to help socially responsible organizations achieve their goals. His new book, Deadly Spin: An Insurance Company Insider Speaks Out on How Corporate PR is Killing Health Care and Deceiving Americans, is an expose on health insurers and a stark warning that corporate spin is distorting our democracy.
First Congregational Church, Portland
Everyone needs health care throughout their life. Before the era of private and public health care systems, it was pay as you go. Health care was segregated by income level -- with some exceptions -- just like housing, transportation and higher education. The system has transformed.
Many consider health care to be a basic right. Problem is, at seventeen percent of our economy, that's an expensive right. And we're getting less for our money than many other developed nations, (less than some developing countries as well). We're stuck arguing about the inefficiency of government (despite the cost effectiveness of veteran's Affairs and Medicare) versus the rapaciousness of private insurers (many of which are nonprofits).
But what do we want from our health care system in the first place?
Wendell Potter
Following a 20-year career as a corporate public relations executive, Potter left his position as head of communications for CIGNA, one of the nation's largest health insurers, to help socially responsible organizations achieve their goals. His new book, Deadly Spin: An Insurance Company Insider Speaks Out on How Corporate PR is Killing Health Care and Deceiving Americans, is an expose on health insurers and a stark warning that corporate spin is distorting our democracy.
