A major protest by healthcare activists at the Humana headquarters in downtown Louisville at 10 a.m. Thursday is part of the fourth wave of demonstrations and arrests at 32 cities across the nation. So far, in 11 cities 78 people have been arrested for sitting-in at insurance company offices. On Wednesday and Thursday people who favor Single Payer healthcare programs will be protesting at 21 more cities.
The Louisville group, organized by Rev. David Bos of Kentuckians for Single Payer Healthcare (KSPH), will be requesting a meeting with Humana CEO Michael B. McCallister, who was paid more than $20 million last year. The activists claim that Humana forced many of its customers into bankruptcy because of health care bills that the corporation refuses to cover.
The action at Fifth and Main Streets Thursday is part of a national effort being co-ordinated by Mobilization for Health Care for All. The aim is to pass a single payer program that would expand the coverage of Medicare and extend it to all persons. The group contends that by reducing the role of insurance companies the saved $400 billion annually would allow coverage for the uninsured and would lower health care costs in general.
CONTACTS:
Nationally:
Deborah Helt 213-308-8059 co-ordinator, Mobilization for Health Care for All
Lacy MacAuley 202-445-4692 media director
Louisville area:
*Rev. David Bos 634-1963
*Kay Tillow 636-1551 KSPH co-ordinator
David Ross Stevens 923-9400 (before demonstration), cell 502-526-3151 (during and after demonstration)
Dr. Garrett Adams 895-8847 co-ordinator of Physicians for a National Healthcare Program--Kentucky
* Before the demonstration
