1. A few examples in Massachusetts: Health Care for All Massachusetts,
http://blog.hcfama.org
, Commonhealth,
http://commonhealth.wbur.org/
, and, Running a Hospital,
http://runningahospital.blogspot.com
At the national level: National Physicians Alliance,
www.npalliance.net/blog
and The Health Care Blog
http://www.thehealthcareblog.com/
among many, many more.
2. Organizations generally fall into six categories: Professional societies, health policy advocacy groups, labor unions, faith-based organizations, social justice organizations, neighborhood associations. A few examples: Massachusetts Medical Society,
www.massmed.org
, Mass Nurses Association,
www.massnurses.org
, Health Care for All,
www.hcfama.org
, The Alliance to Defend Health Care,
www.massdefendhealthcare.org
, MassCare,
www.masscare.org
, The Coalition for affordable Health Care,
www.coalitionforforaffordablehealthcare.org
, The Massachusetts Coalition for the Prevention of Medical Errors,
www.macoalition.org
. At the national level, Families USA,
www.familiesusa.org
, The Universal Health Care Action Network (UHCAN),
www.uhcan.org
, Health Care for America NOW,
www.healthcareforamericanow.org
.
3. The Ad Hoc Committee to Defend Health Care. For our patients, not for profits: A call to action. JAMA 1997; 278:1733–1738.
4. Upon ratification of this amendment and thereafter, it shall be the obligation and duty of the Legislature and executive officials, on behalf of the Commonwealth, to enact and implement such laws, subject to the approval of the voters at a statewide election, as will ensure that no Massachusetts resident lacks comprehensive, affordable and equitably financed health insurance coverage for all medically necessary preventive, acute and chronic health care and mental health care services, prescription drugs and devices.