1. Medium-Term Single Payer Campaigns – Lessons from Movement History
[Why this matters]
Years long struggle: we need victories along the way.
We need to grow and strengthen our movement.

2. Agenda Overview: Possible campaign ideas Small group workshop
What is a medium-term campaigns?
How can a medium-term campaign be useful?
Possible campaign ideas
Small group workshop

3. Importance of Strategic Medium-Term Campaigns

4. A Medium-Term Campaign:
Is achievable within 1-2 years with existing resources;
Should build power necessary to win long-term campaign goal;
Should matter to an identifiable group or community.

5. Campaign Assessment Internal Impacts External Impacts
Fits with our values
Capacity to win
Duration & resources
Risk of negative outcomes
Builds our internal capacity
Builds our external power
Internal Impacts
Grows member-ship base
Mobilizes our base
Leadership development
Fundraising potential
External Impacts
Coalition building
Demonstration
of power
Shifts the
public narrative

6. Single Payer Campaign Targets
Legislative Campaigns
Corporate & Solidarity Campaigns
Outreach Campaigns

7. Government Targets (Nat’l)
Congressional Committees:
Inclusion in hearings (Baucus 8)
Symbolic amendments (Wiener amendment to repeal Medicare)
Individual Congresspeople:
Co-sponsorship
Leadership roles: website, public speaking, LTEs/Op-Eds, etc.

8. Government Targets (State)
State Legislatures:
Single-payer studies (many states)
Non-binding single-payer resolutions
Healthcare expansion/defense (Medicaid expansion fights, Medicare4All in CA)
Improved regulations of healthcare industry (surprise billing, etc.)
All-payer rate setting

9. Government Targets (State)
Individual State Legislators:
Co-sponsorship
Leadership roles: website, public speaking, LTEs/Op-Eds, etc
Governors/State Agencies
Insurance rate increase hearings (Put People First PA)
Make single payer an election issue
Appoint a public advocate

10. Government Targets (Other)
Non-Binding Ballot Initiatives
Ballot questions at city, legislative district, or county levels (30+ in MA, FL)
Municipalities
Resolutions (Win Win campaign)
City- or county-level universal healthcare programs (Healthy San Francisco, Los Angeles County)

11. Corporate Targets Insurance Companies: Employers, Hospitals:
Demanding patient bill of rights (HCN’s civil disobediences during ACA)
Challenge corporate mergers
Employers, Hospitals:
Solidarity campaigns for patients (HCN Kevin Jarvis), workers (UE Local 248 campaign), hospital closures (Huey Long)
Mutual Funds: divestment (TIAA-CREF)

12. Outreach Campaigns Intermediate Organizations:
Labor council and union endorsements (Unions for Single Payer campaign)
Medical societies (Hawaii, Massachusetts)
Single-payer business network (Business Leaders Transforming Healthcare)
Municipal resolutions (HCN Win-Win campaign)

13. Outreach Campaigns Affected Individuals:
Story-collecting campaign (Southern Maine Workers Center)
Petition-gathering campaign (100x100 campaign – HCN New York)
Statewide truth hearings (Vermont Workers Center, HCN road tour)
Movie viewings (SiCKO tour, FixIt, etc)

14. Campaign Assessment Internal Impacts External Impacts
Fits with our values
Capacity to win
Duration & resources
Risk of negative outcomes
Impact of victory on people’s lives
Potential for media/education
Internal Impacts
Grows member-ship base
Leadership development
Mobilization of base
Fundraising potential
External Impacts
Coalition building
Demonstration
of power
Shifts the
public narrative