This weekend Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid introduced an amended health reform bill. The new bill won the support of 60 senators, thereby overcoming one of the most difficult hurdles on the road to comprehensive health reform.
But the fight for health reform is far from over. That’s why we are asking you to call your senator TODAY.
Between now and Christmas Eve it is important that senators who support reform hear positive messages from their constituents. Please call your senators and ask them to vote YES to keep health reform moving forward.
Where We Are
In the final days of getting this historic bill passed out of the Senate, your voice is needed more than ever. Although the bill is not perfect, it does include several measures (pdf) that would greatly assist low-income direct-care workers, including:
- tougher regulation of insurance industry practices
- better consumer protections
- stronger controls on long-term health care costs
- a two-year extension in funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program and an expansion of Medicaid to those earning up to 133% of federal poverty level
- millions in demonstration grants for training and career advancement
And most importantly, the Senate bill would extend health coverage to 31 million uninsured Americans.
Next Steps
Senate procedures require several more votes, with a final vote scheduled for this week. All will need the support of 60 senators.
Once the bill passes the Senate, a conference committee will merge it with the House bill, which includes even more provisions that would help direct-care workers, including higher subsidies, affordability protections, and a public insurance option.
The PHI Health Care for Health Care Workers campaign has been bringing you stories of direct-care workers that highlight the key elements of reform. These are issues we will continue to fight for — and ask you to weigh in on — to make sure that these protections for lower-income families are included in the final legislation.
Did you call your senators? We’d love to hear about it! Email HCHCW Director Carol Regan, or add a comment to this post telling us about your experience!
