Who We Are
Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP) is dedicated exclusively to implementing a single-payer national health program in the United States. We believe access to high-quality health care is a right of all people and should be provided equitably as a public service rather than bought and sold as a commodity. Our work involves educating health care providers and the general public on the need for comprehensive, high-quality, publicly funded, but privately delivered health care. The benefits of a single-payer system include dramatically decreased administrative costs (estimated at over $350 billion dollars annually in 2008 by the Government Accounting Office). This is enough to cover the 47 million uninsured Americans and improve care for the remainder. PNHP has more than 17,000 members nationally.
The Minnesota chapter of PNHP was formed in the summer of 2007 recognizing that our state is home to many dedicated physicians who share our sentiment. Since its establishment, our chapter has been very active advocating for both national and state reform to make single-payer a reality. We are excited by the prospect of Minnesota becoming the first state in the nation to enact single-payer through passage of the Minnesota Health Plan. Our chapter members speak to physician groups and the public, are invited to sit on healthcare reform panels, write articles and opinion pieces, testify at committee hearings, and give interviews to various media outlets. Please see our single-payer news and chapter update sections for more information. We have a core of activists who are available to speak to any group or organization that would like to learn more about single-payer health care.
As physicians we recognize that we are uniquely well-positioned to advocate effectively for single-payer reform, and we believe it is our responsibility to do so. If you are a physician or provider and support single-payer, please join our group by signing our resolution. We limit our e-mails to one or two per month. If you would like us to speak at an event or have questions for us, please contact us at pnhpminnesota@gmail.com. Also please peruse the national PNHP website as it is an excellent source of information.
Co-chairs Ann Settgast, MD & Elizabeth Frost, MD