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The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
“By far the most important initiative and best opportunity for reform in the world ever”
DRAFT
Target Action Plan 3 Sustainable Development Goal 3 and its Targets
TAP 3 Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
• Ensure everyone has publicly supported, comprehensive, universal healthcare as rapidly as possible
• Pay doctors, nurses, healthcare officials, etc. guaranteed living wages
• Fully fund and help resolve the COVID-19 pandmeic as rapidly as possible
• Phase out all government funds being used to buy health insurance
• Government health organizations jointly negotiate prices of drugs, bandages, durable medical equipment, tools, etc.
• Build approximately 1000 new modern hospitals and clinics, equipped with the latest technologies
(Updated August 10, 2022)
(This is a work in progress. Please provide comments/suggestions/additional actions to PeopleNow.org by email: refinetheplan@peoplenow.org or Fax 703-521-0849)
TAP
3
3.1.1 A white paper authored by Public Citizen 1 shows that our for-profit healthcare system left the country unprepared and unable to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. It also shows how a single-payer government-run health care system would have prevented one third of COVID-19 deaths. “The U.S. remains the only one of the 25 wealthiest countries to not provide universal health care, and the health care system's focus on profits and not health has cost Americans their lives. Despite having less than 5% of the world's population, the U.S. has had 25% of the world's confirmed cases and 20% of the deaths”
3.1.2 This plan is being developed to implement UN Sustainable Development Goal 3, which reads “Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.”
3.1.3 It will provide all individuals with government supported health care that includes all medically necessary care, including primary care and prevention, dietary and nutritional therapies, prescription drugs, emergency care, long-term care, mental health services, dental services, vision care, hearing aids, etc. with no co-payments or need for supplemental policies.
3.1.4 This Plan is part of Target Action Plan TAP 45 of the Plan to Rapidly Implement UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Target Action Plans (TAPs) described at www.PeopleNow.org. It should be accomplished in close coordination with this plan.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
3.2.1 This plan outlines Actions to implement Sustainable Development Goal 3 and its Targets in particular to provide comprehensive healthcare 2 for all 3 as rapidly as possible.
3.3.1 TA 3.1 As soon as possible, reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to at least less than 70 per 100,000 live births
3.3.2 TA 3.2 As soon as possible, end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age, with all countries aiming to reduce neonatal mortality to at least as low as 12 per 1,000 live births and under-5 mortality to at least as low as 25 per 1,000 live births
3.3.3 TA 3.3 As soon as possible, fully fund and end the pandemic of COVID-19 and epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other communicable diseases
3.3.4 TA 3.4 As soon as possible, reduce at least by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being
3.3.5 TA 3.5 Strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse, including narcotic drug abuse and harmful use of alcohol
3.3.6 TA 3.6 As soon as possible, reduce the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents by at least one half
3.3.7 TA 3.7 As soon as possible, ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programs
3.3.8 TA 3.8 Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all
3.3.9 TA 3.9 As soon as possible, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination
3.3.10 TA 3.B Strengthen the implementation of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in all countries, as appropriate
3.3.11 TA 3.B Support the research and development of vaccines and medicines for the communicable and non-communicable diseases that primarily affect developing countries, provide access to affordable essential medicines and vaccines, in accordance with the Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health, which affirms the right of developing countries to use to the full the provisions in the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights regarding flexibilities to protect public health, and, in particular, provide access to medicines for all
3.3.12 TA 3.C Substantially increase health financing and the recruitment, development, training and retention of the health workforce in developing countries, especially in least developed countries and small island developing States
3.3.13 TA 3.D Strengthen the capacity of all countries, in particular developing countries, for early warning, risk reduction and management of national and global health risk
3.4.1 Vacate as Null and Void the Affordable Care Act and the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 and ensure everyone has publicly supported, comprehensive, universal healthcare as soon as possible.
3.4.2 Develop up to date features and principles of the new comprehensive, universal healthcare system.
3.4.2.1 Study and implement best practices and lessons learned from all health care systems.
3.4.3 Pay doctors, nurses, aides and other hospital workers living wages/salaries similar to those at military hospitals at Walter Reed based on the skills, qualifications, work habits, experience and longevity
3.4.3.1 Pay all care-givers including family and friends who are taking care of the disabled, mentally retarded, elderly and anyone needing long term or hospice care.
3.4.4 As soon as possible, fully fund and end the COVID-19 pandemic and epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other communicable diseases
3.4.4.1 Use time and material type grants, contracts and sub-contracts with no profits, overhead or fees and no reason for financial personnel to know the names or have access to the medical records of patients.
3.4.4.2 Develop the format for universal medical records under the control of the individual who can provide selected information to their doctors and others. Features include:
3.4.4.2.1 The capability to show test results such as blood work graphically that show trends by date and the medication being taken to control symptoms or ailment [draft]
3.4.4.3 Eliminate multiple billings for individual patients. (Currently doctors, radiologist, anesthesiologists, pathologist, etc. bill separately for operations in many hospitals.) All health care workers should be full or part time employees of hospitals or clinics and work as members of a team as much as practicable. Each patient should be able to communicate with certain members of the team taking care of him/her.
3.4.4.4 Entire Government, including DOD, VA, Medicare, Medicaid, Public Heath Service, Public Hospitals and clinics jointly negotiate prices of volume sales of prescription drugs, over the counter drugs, bandages, durable medical equipment, tools, equipment and essentially all other items and supplies used in hospitals, clinics and doctors’ offices.
3.4.4.5 Use the latest technologies for example Tele-medicine, remote sensors, chatting over skype or video conferencing,
3.4.4.6 Set up a system similar to a public library to check out/in durable medical equipment (DME) including crutches, wheel chairs, walkers, blood pressure monitors, thermometers, hospital beds for home use and rollators.
3.4.4.7 Develop and employ universal, standard, comprehensive, private, secure, digitized, health records to be used throughout the public and private sector. These records must use relational data bases with compartmented data that allows the information to be used for such things as data for actuarial and cost study purposes without divulging the identity of the patient/individual
3.4.4.8 Build approximately 1000 new modern hospitals and clinics, equipped with the latest technologies purchased at negotiated prices for volume sales.
3.4.4.9 Reward individuals who practice preventative medicine, don’t smoke, eat properly, exercise and/or control their weight, blood pressure and cholesterol, etc by appropriately increasing their projected Social Security retirement and/or survivors benefits and/or making these funds available in their “estates” to be willed as they see fit.
3.4.4.10 As appropriate make city, county, state and federal hospitals/clinics and community health centers) into co-ops, government owned and operated or government owned, not for profit contractor operated (GOCO) Medicare/Medicaid, hospitals/clinics that educate, train and qualify doctors, nurses, dentists, nurses aids and other health care personnel, This should have been done with Walter Reed Army hospital which was wrongfully closed.
3.4.4.11 Phase out all government funds, including medicaid and medicare, being used to buy health insurance from private companies.
3.4.4.12 Cease forcing individuals to buy health insurance from for profit companies.
3.4.5 Implement Target Actions
3.4.5.1 As rapidly as possible reduce the global maternal mortality rate as much as possible and at least to less than 70 per 100,000 live births with all births attended by skilled health personnel
3.4.5.2 As rapidly as possible end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age as much as possible with all countries aiming to reduce neonatal mortality to at least as low as 12 per 1,000 live births and under-5 mortality to at least as low as 25 per 1,000 live births
3.4.5.3 As soon as possible fully fund the epidemics and occurrences of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, other neglected tropical diseases, hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other communicable diseases
3.4.5.4 Fully fund and help resolve the COVID-19 pandemic in all countries as soon as possible
3.4.5.5 Provide full support to resolve the COVID-19 pandemic and prevent additional coronavirus and other virus epidemics and pandemics as rapidly much as possible and be prepared to resolve those that do occur.
3.4.5.6 TA 3.1 As soon as possible reduce premature mortality from non-communicable diseases as much as possible, at least by one third, through prevention and treatment
3.4.5.7 TA 3.2 As soon as possible provide mental health care and promote well-being for all and reduce suicides as much as possible
3.4.5.8 TA 3.3 As soon as possible provide education and training in the prevention and elimination of bad habits
3.4.5.9 TA 3.4 As soon as possible promote well-being for all
3.4.5.10 TA 3.5 As soon as possible strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse, including narcotic drug abuse and harmful use of alcohol for all including providing treatment interventions (pharmacological, psycho social and rehabilitation and aftercare services) for substance use disorders
3.4.5.11 TA 3.6 As soon as possible reduce, at least halve, the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents EPA
3.4.5.12 TA 3.7 As soon as possible ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programs for all
3.4.5.13 TA 3.8 Provide no-cost comprehensive, universal healthcare coverage, access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and essential medicines and vaccines for all with no co-pays or supplemental insurance required
3.4.5.14 TA 3.9 As soon as possible substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination EPA
3.4.5.15 TA 3A As soon as possible strengthen the implementation of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in all countries, as appropriate
3.4.5.16 TA 3B As soon as possible support the research and development of vaccines and medicines for the communicable and non-communicable diseases that primarily affect developing countries, provide access to affordable essential medicines and vaccines, in accordance with the Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health, which affirms the right of developing countries to use to the full the provisions in the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights regarding flexibilities to protect public health, and, in particular, provide access to medicines for all
3.4.5.17 TA 3C As soon as possible provide full health financing and the recruitment, development, training and retention of the health workforce in developing countries, especially in least developed countries and small island developing States
3.4.5.18 TA 3D As soon as possible provide the full capacity of all countries, in particular developing countries, for early warning, risk reduction and management of national and global health risks
3.4.6 Vacate as Null and Void the Affordable Care Act and the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003
3.4.7 Seize-recover-disgorge assets related to the current insurance based system :
3.4.7.1 All the excessive fees and profits charged for pharmaceuticals and healthcare
3.4.7.2 The property of the insurance companies
3.5.1 Reasons the comprehensive, universal healthcare system coverage should replace ACA
3.5.1.1 The Affordable Care Act (ACA) does not cover nearly everyone, is unaffordable, over 2000 pages long, complex, unfair to taxpayers and essentially unworkable
3.5.1.2 It continues the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003, which prohibits the Government negotiating prices of prescription drugs and costs taxpayers 40 to 50 billion dollars annually for nothing except unjust enrichments for pharmaceutical companies
3.5.1.3 It was written primarily by the health care and pharmaceutical corporation executives and lobbyist and it will channel billions of taxpayers' dollars to these corporations
3.5.1.4 Many legislators that voted on the ACA have received and will receive campaign contributions and other things of value from these companies.
3.5.1.5 It will apparently increase already high premium prices, deductibles and co-pays by 30% to 40%.
3.5.1.6 Taxpayers will pay 75% of the premiums for the legislators that caused the shutdown and all other government employees health care insurance and enable them to choose plans with zero or very low co-pays and deductions
3.5.1.7 Under ACA an additional 6.4 million people would be without healthcare due to 26 state governments rejecting the “Medicaid expansion” feature of ACA
3.5.1.8 It does not provide reproductive health access for many women
3.5.1.9 Patient information is not well protected from hackers and identityIt creates an incentive for employers to keep employees' work hours below 30 hours a week
3.5.1.10 Is not coordinated with other major health care systems -- Medicare, Medicaid, the Public Health Service, the Veterans Administration Health Care, and DOD's active duty and retiree health care systems, TriCare and Tricare for Life.
3.5.1.11 According to an article Europe's Quiet Revolution by Steven Hill, published by RootsAction on August 15, 2011:
3.5.1.12 European nations are rated by the World Health Organization as having the best health care systems in the world, .... they spend only about half the amount (per capita) as the United States, which has a for-profit system, to provide universal coverage, even as 47 million Americans, many of them children, don't have any health care except a hospital emergency room. Despite spending far more money, U.S. health care is ranked 37th in the world -- just ahead of Cuba and Kuwait. Even European nations like Croatia, with far less wealth than America, provide health care for all, truly a damning indictment of the American for-profit system.
3.5.1.13 Switching:
3.5.1.14 Creates 2,613,495 million new permanent, good-paying jobs
3.5.1.15 Boosts the economy with $317 billion in increased business and public revenues
3.5.1.16 Adds $100 billion in employee compensation
3.5.1.17 Infuses public budgets with $44 billion in new tax revenues
3.5.1.18 Repealing the ACA and enacting Heathcare for All will resolve all the above problems, provide much needed comprehensive healthcare and save thousands of lives and hundreds of billions of dollars annually.