FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Contacts:

Katie Robbins, MPH, Executive Director, Physicians for a National Health Program – NY Metro, [email protected], cell: (330) 618-6379

Mark Almberg, Physicians for a National Health Program, (312) 782-6006, cell: (312) 622-0996, [email protected]

NYC medical and public health students to participate in 
National Day of Action for ‘Medicare for All’ on Oct. 1

Citing increasing cost of healthcare and prescription drugs and the persistence of thousands of preventable deaths each yeardue to lack of health insurance, students at more than 30 medical and public health schools across the country, and a half dozen in NYC, will hold teach-ins, rallies and candlelight vigils on Oct. 1 (#TenOne) to bring national attention to ‘our failing health care system’ and the need for single-payer health reform.

The following schools in New York City will participate in this momentous nationwide day of action on October 1: Icahn School of Medicine at Mt Sinai, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health, SUNY Downstate Medical School, NYU Medical School, Weill Cornell Medical College. Sponsored organizations include AMSA - American Medical Student Association, Latino Medical Student Association National, WhiteCoats4BlackLives, and Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM).

 

The events listed below are of most interest to the press:  

What: Candlelight Vigil

When: Thursday, Oct. 1, 6:00pm

 

Who: Medical students from schools across New York City and the public.

 

Where: The Annenberg lobby outside of Goldwurm Auditorium at Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai, moving outside to Madison Ave, across from Hospital main entrance around 6:30pm.

 

Media visuals: Medical students in white coats, candles during the vigil, signs and banners calling for single-payer health reform. Elected officials Richard Gottfried, Chair of the Assembly Health Committee, and Councilman Corey Johnson, invited to speak.

 

Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health

What: Lunchtime Rally for Medicare for All

When: Thursday, Oct. 1, 12:30PM

 

Who: Medical and public health students

 

Where: Columbia University Medical Campus steps at 701 W 168^th St, Manhattan

Media visuals: Medical students in white coats, signs and banners calling for single-payer health reform.

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Why

The United States is the only industrialized nation in the world that does not guarantee universal health care. Unfortunately, the Affordable Care Act is neither universal nor affordable. It will leave 30 million Americans uninsured and a comparable number underinsured, vulnerable to financial distress in the event of illness. Sharply rising deductibles and copays are deterring the insured form seeking care, and skyrocketing drug prices are putting medications out of reach. Tens of thousands of people will continue to die every year just because they lack health insurance. Medical problems are the leading cause of bankruptcy in the U.S., and research shows nearly 80 percent of those declaring bankruptcy due to medical debt had insurance at the onset of their illness. Our patients need and deserve better.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Medicare. As medical students, part of our mission is to ensure that everyone who needs care gets it. One way to achieve this goal is by improving the Medicare program and expanding it to cover all Americans. There is a bill in Congress, H.R. 676, that would do precisely that.

For more about the #TenOne initiative, including patient stories, please read these posts on SNaHP’s official blog by medical students Vanessa Van Doren and Bryant Shuey.

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This project was initiated by Students for a National Health Program (SNaHP), the student arm of Physicians for a National Health Program (www.pnhp.org), an organization of more than 19,000 physicians, health professionals, medical and health professional students who advocate for universal, single-payer, improved Medicare for all.

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