Last week U.S. Senator Arlen Specter (D-PA) elevated the issue of health care reform when he hosted a series of town hall meetings around the state. Most recently in Kittanninng, PA, he took questions from 30 constituents in a room of 200 people. Hundreds more waited outside the community center unable to gain entrance. The majority of the questions were from people seriously concerned about health care and who favor reforms that will make coverage more accessible and affordable. Unfortunately, the news media only seemed to capture that rants of the opposition who addressed topics completely unrelated to health care reform.
The Health Care for Health Care Workers Campaign worked with many of our Pennsylvania coalition partners to get people to attend the town hall meeting and to keep the focus on health care. Those gathering with us before the town hall were briefed on how to raise the importance of health care reform and encouraged to focus on the issues like affordability and the urgency to enact meaningful health care reform.
Those opposed to health care reform obviously have a completely different approach, one which we have seen over and over again is intended to derail reform, not contribute to a productive discussion. We want to give our activists the tools and tips to let their voices be heard on this important issue. HCHCW and its partners believe that town hall meeting should be a place for constructive dialogue between a Member of Congress and his or her constituents – not a shouting match.
While it is difficult for direct-care workers to take time from their clients, when workers attend town hall meetings and tell their stories it brings home to our representatives that there are many health care workers who struggle to afford coverage (and many who have no coverage at all). Even if you were not able to attend a town hall meeting, you can still let your voices be heard by sending your senators and representative a message that health care reform that is good for America’s 3 million direct-care workers is good for America.
There are thousands of events taking place across America where you can make your voice heard and show your support for health care reform. No doubt you have heard about the town hall meetings where the opposition is doing their best to be disruptive by spreading lies and distortions. We need to set the record straight and the only way to do that is to get the facts and spread the truth.
My name is Cindy and I am a direct-care worker in Iowa. I am uninsured because my employer does not offer comprehensive health insurance and any plan on the private market is way out of reach for me. Due to my late husband’s illness, we had to file medical bankruptcy a few years back and I am still climbing out of that situation.
Health care reform is very close to my heart and I support the current bills before Congress. That is why I get so angry when I see the lies and distortions that those who are opposed to reform are spreading. We need to fight back with truth and passion about why reform is good for all Americans.
For example, I recently received an email from a friend of mine which was a line by line analysis of the House Bill that she found on the internet. Based on the “analysis” she was encouraging me to contact my Representative and tell him to not vote for this “TERRIBLE” bill. This really bothered me because I had recently met my representative, Bruce Braley, who is on the House committee that is working on this bill. I feel he is very sincere about getting a good health care plan in place. I went to his web site which is: www.braley.house.gov and looked at the bill myself and was shocked to find how distorted this so-called “analysis” was. For example my friend’s email suggested we should be against this bill because:
On page 30 section 123 it says there will be a government committee that decides what treatments/benefits you get. First of all, it is a council that makes recommendations about the minimum standard of benefits that insurance companies must offer. I hope that this council exists! This is a huge undertaking and we need a ccouncil to make sure it is done right. Right now the insurance companies, decide what treatments and benefits most people get – based on their bottom line benefit. That surely isn’t fair.
On page 59 it says that the government will have direct access to our bank accounts for electronic funds transfer. This is really about electronic payments between insurance companies and providers. Not about individual citizens. The government will not have access to our individual accounts.
And the list went on and on…Nowhere did it mention all the good that this bill does like:
Make health insurance affordable for millions of Americans like myself through a public insurance plan and subsidies for those who need it.
Prohibit insurance companies from denying anyone coverage because they have a pre-existing condition.
Regulate premiums and other health care costs so they can only be a low percentage of your income
I emailed my friend back that she should take a look at the bill herself by visiting Congressman Braley’s website instead of taking somebody else’s interpretation. We need to fight back with the truth and make sure this time America wins health care reform that will really make a difference. I encourage you to arm yourself with the facts and be ready to counter-attack the lies and opposition.
“I spend 40 percent of my time away from my patients doing paperwork and getting prior authorizations,” said Jim King, MD, a family physician in Selmer, Tenn. “We need to start taking the barriers that are between me and my patients away.”
The Herdon Alliance, of which PHI’s HCHCW campaign is a member, and The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) collaborated with Brave New Films to produce this video featuring the doctors your family relies on for care speaking out for reform. They are urging Americans to “Heal Health Care Now.”
Doctors’ voices in support of health care reform are important for the public to hear. People look to their doctors to affirm that the reform being discussed is in their best interest: that it will help provide for quality care at affordable costs.
Physicians, nurses and direct-care workers are all crucial components to our health care system. We urge you to make sure your voice is heard by calling your member of Congress and sharing your health care story. You can reach your Representative or Senator by calling 1-800-828-0498.
August Congressional recess has begun for the U.S. House, with the Senate recess scheduled to being on Friday. While not as much was accomplished before the break as advocates and President Obama had hoped, Congress made significant strides toward health reform. In terms of specific direct-care workforce provisions, PHI reached out to legislators to include provisions benefiting the direct-care workforce and had several successes. Continue reading ‘Update on National Reform’
The Health Care for Health Care Workers Campaign has plugged into several national health care reform advocacy efforts in Pennsylvania. As part of the Pennsylvania Health Access Network we have been working with several groups to attend press conferences, meet-ups, and community forums on health care reform.
Many moderate Democrats from the PA delegation of the U. S. House of Representatives are not fully on board with House Tri-Committee (pdf) bill due to the financing relying heavily on taxing the wealthy. In order to make our voices heard about the need for an affordable option, we began to mobilize and engage direct-care workers and other advocates about making sure every American has affordable, accessible health care. Continue reading ‘In PA, Opportunities Abound to Get Involved in the Health Care Debate’
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