There is no commitment on the part of either political party to universal healthcare coverage. Indeed, except for minor occasional blips, the number of uninsured is increasing. Given the refusal of politicians to meaningfully address the problem of uninsurance, and the ongoing failure of traditional modes of political action, should we, as health professionals, consider civil disobedience and other more activist forms of protest in an effort to promote universal coverage?
I begin with a definition of civil disobedience and then discuss potential strategies that may or may not involve violation of laws. Civil disobedience consists of publicly announced defiance of specific laws or policies which an individual or group believes to be unjust or unconstitutional. The defiance must be publicly announced since the purpose is to bring the perceived unjust laws/policies to the attention of the public, with the ultimate purpose of stirring public conscience to change policies.
The actions falling under the rubric of civil disobedience include actions that explicitly and publicly violate law and/or administrative procedures of an organization. Other forms of protest should also be considered and will be discussed in this session. Ingredients for success include the ability to engage a significant number of health professionals and other groups of concerned activists. Most importantly, the criterion for success will be whether such actions bring the issue of health reform into the living room of the majority of Americans forcing our elected representatives to enact universal coverage.
Learning Objectives: Participants will learn about and discuss different forms of protest that could be used to enhance the prospect of universal coverage for all Americans.
Keywords: Access and Services,
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.