About Us
This web site is supported jointly by Health Care for Everyone-Alabama and by the Alabama Chapter of Physicians for a National Health Program.
Health Care for Everyone-Alabama is a state coalition campaigning for the same, high quality, affordable health care for everyone. It believes that single-payer will be the best answer for Alabama and for America, but it is firmly convinced that any solution must make sense to liberals who champion universal access, to conservatives who struggle with the runaway cost of care and to people already insured who distrust change. Health Care for Everyone-Alabama is structured to allow it to lobby for legislative change.
Physicians for a National Health Program is a national non-profit research and education organization of 17,000 physicians, medical students, health professionals and lay people who support national health insurance and other controls of health care cost.
The Alabama Chapters of PNHP are all members of the Coalition. PNHP chapters and the Coalition share officers in common.
Improved Medicare for Everyone is a campaign of all of the organizations in the Coalition. The care we all advocate is government funded and privately delivered, like Medicare today. It would cover all medically necessary care, inpatient, outpatient, preventive and emergency care, prescription drugs, palliative, long-term and mental health care, and vision, hearing, dental, podiatry and chiropractic care. It would cover everyone, from birth till death, regardless of employment status, without copayments or deductibles. Everyone would have unrestricted choice of doctor and hospital. Medicaid, Medicare as it exists now, SCHIP, VA medicine and private insurance would all be obsolete; one single entity would provide and pay for care for all.
When all medical care is paid for from a single source, it will be possible to control cost.
Our leadership:
Health Care for Everyone-Alabama
Coordinator
J. Walden (Wally) Retan MD
3105 Warrington Road
Mountain Brook, AL 35223-2721
Phone: 205-266-4928
info@HealthCareForEveryone-Alabama.org
Retired physician, geriatrics.
Co-Coordinator
Pippa Abston MD PhD
Huntsville, AL
Phone: 256-513-9638.
General pediatrician/educator
Alabama Chapter, Physicians for a National Health Program.
Coordinator
Dr. Retan
Co-Coordinator
Dr. Mark E. Wilson
Chief of Staff, Cooper Green Mercy Hospital
1515 6th Avenue South
Birmingham, AL 35233
Office (secretary): (205) 930-3774
Cell: (205) 422-0765
West Alabama Chapter, Physicians for a National Health Program
Dr. Wilmer Coggins
9010 Admiralty Lane
Tuscaloosa, AL 35406-1013
Phone: 205-349-5729
Retired general internist and medical school administrator. Lifelong interest in rural primary care. Working to organize Tuscaloosa and West Alabama.
North Alabama Healthcare For All (Chapter of Physicians for a National Health Program)
Physician Coordinator:
Dr. Pippa Abston
Executive Director
Rob Kilpatrick
Cell: 256-486-1277
Rob Kilpatrick is Executive Director of North Alabama Healthcare for All, a chapter of Physicians for a National Health Program. He is a retired United States Marine Corps officer who also had a "second career" in the aerospace industry. His two careers took him to many countries around the world where he observed, first hand, a variety of healthcare systems. His personal volunteer activities, over the years, have put him in contact with many Americans who have suffered due to lack of access to the high quality healthcare available to only some of our citizens. In comparing the United States healthcare system to those he observed in countries far less wealthy, he has become increasingly disenchanted with the United States system and convinced that our great nation can do better. Now, in retirement, he is devoting his full attention to advocating for a more humane and cost effective system of healthcare for all persons in the United States.
A chapter of the coalition organized for students is under development.
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Healthcare for Everyone – Alabama is recognized by the IRS as a 501-C-4 organization, allowed to lobby on issues, though it may not support political candidates. Contributions to it are not tax deductible.
Physicians for a National Health Program is recognized by the IRS as a 501-C-3 organization, meaning that its mission is education and research. Its ability to lobby is limited by law. Contributions to it are tax deductible .
www.HealthCareForEveryone-Alabama.org
www.MedicareForEveryone.org