Who We Are

Health Care for

All Texas

We are a grassroots coalition that believes health care is a human right. Every person in the state of Texas deserves access to high quality health care at an affordable cost.

Motto  

Health care based on need, not on the ability to pay.

Mission

Health Care for All Texas promotes single payer, universal health care through community education and policy setting.

Vision

A health care system based on six guiding principles: universal, accessible, affordable, accountable, comprehensive and just.

Principles

• Guaranteed health care for all.
• Comprehensive coverage and emphasis on prevention.
• Public accountability and public input.
• Freedom to choose and change one’s physician or other health care practitioner.
• Portable coverage not affected by changing jobs, losing jobs, or moving.
• Fair financing through employer and employee contributions based on income.
• Cost containment
• Guaranteed accessibility based on community need.
• Optimal transition to a system established and implemented by consumer, legislative, business, hospital, and provider interests.

History

Health Care for All Texas was founded in 2002 by two physicians at the front lines of medicine to promote universal health care through grassroots education and policy setting.

Governance

Health Care for All Texas is a chapter of Physicians for a National Health Program (www.pnhp.org), a nonprofit research and education organization of 17,000 health care professionals who support single-payer national health insurance. You do not need to be a health professional to join PNHP or HCFAT. The general membership meets monthly by conference call to discuss single-payer issues and statewide campaigns. If you are interested in joining the conference calls, contact us at info@hcfat.org. Contributions to HCFAT are tax-deductible.

Founding Members

Lauren Oshman, M.D., Co-founder
Ana Malinow, M.D., Co-founder
Kirtiv Sheth, M.D., Austin
Robert Ferrer, M.D., M.P.H., San Antonio
Steven Smith, formerly of ProTex: Network for Progressive Texas, Austin
Lisa McGiffert, Austin
Serena Yang, M.D., M.P.H., Houston
Juliana Nichols, M.D., M.P.H., Houston
Belinda Subramanian, El Paso
Carl Starr, El Paso

Board of Directors

Linda Phenix
Connie Crawford, JD
Amina Haji, MD
Kirti Sheth, MD
Christine Adams, PhD
Edward Kopas
Margaret Nosek, PhD
Richard Fralin
Carolyn Heinz

Officers

Edward Kopas, President
Kirti Sheth, MD, Vice-President
Linda Phenix, Caroline Heinz
Christine Adams, PhD, Secretary