This is nothing new. Not too long ago during the presidential election the opposition pulled out every "tried and true" battle-plan, every thinkable swiftboat ad and more. At the end of the day, however, it was the power of the people that triumphed because our concern was for the benefit of all and not an elite few.
We will not be moved! Let us not allow swiftboat ads and scare tactics to speak for us. Let us remind ourselves what the goal of health care reform is about, namely, putting into place a system that provides access to quality, affordable health care for all, and corrects the shortfalls of our current broken system by putting into place the necessary checks and balances so that we never again have to cross this bridge.
The irrational screaming heads (Limbaugh, Hannity, et al.) would have everyone thinking that we are socialists, that we want big government control, that we are overspending. Meanwhile, the Washington Post reported that the American Journal of Medicine released a national study on June 4th that states 62% of bankruptcies filed in 2007 were "linked to medical expenses."
New Study: Bankruptcy Tied To Medical Bills, By Sarah Lovenheim (Washington Post Online)We cannot wait for some other time or some other person. It is up to us to get on the phone and call our Congressmen and Representatives and tell them that public option language in the proposed health care legislation cannot be either diluted into non-existence or removed.
Sixty-two percent of all bankruptcies filed in 2007 were linked to medical expenses, according to a nationwide study released today by the American Journal of Medicine. That's nearly 20 percentage points higher than that pool of respondents reported were connected to medical costs in 2001...full text.
Here are some talking points from Marta Evry, Grassroots Volunteer:
1) Enact concurrently with other significant expansions of coverage and must not be conditioned on private industry actions.
2) Consist of one entity, operated by the federal government, which sets policies and bears the risk for paying medical claims to keep administrative costs low and provide a higher standard of care.
3) Be available to all individuals and employers across the nation without limitation.
4) Allow patients to have access to their choice of doctors and other providers that meet defined participation standards, similar to the traditional Medicare model, promote the medical home model, and eliminate lifetime caps on benefits.
5) Have the ability to structure the provider rates to promote quality care, primary care, prevention, chronic care management, and good public health.
6) Utilize the existing infrastructure of successful public programs like Medicare in order to maintain transparency and consumer protections for administering processes including payment systems, claims and appeals.
7) Establish or negotiate rates with pharmaceutical companies, durable medical equipment providers, and other providers to achieve the lowest prices for consumers.
8) Receive a level of subsidy and support that is no less than that received by private plans.
9) Ensure premiums must be priced at the lowest levels possible, not tied to the rates of private insurance plans.
Click here to Contact Congress
Here are a list of key legislators:
Senator Max Baucus at (202) 224-2651
Senator Charles Schumer at 202-224-6542
Senator Edward Kennedy at (202) 224-4543
Senator Bill Nelson at (202) 224-5274
House Ways and Means Committee Chair Charlie Rangel
(202) 225-3625
House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Henry Waxman
(202) 225-2927
House Education and Labor Committee Chair George Miller
(202) 225-3725
Thank you for all that you do.
Val McCall, state chair OFC
Visit Organizing for Connecticut
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