Support the House health care reform plan!

THIS IS IT! After decades of debate and inaction on national health care reform, the U.S. House of Representatives is about to vote on sweeping legislation to address the spiraling health costs that are crushing families, businesses and government at all levels. This issue must be addressed NOW. Health care can't wait!

WE NEED TO CONTACT OUR U.S. REPRESENTATIVES and urge them to support this historic legislation and to oppose amendments to weaken it. We need to make sure it retains a robust public option to compete with the insurance companies and keep them honest, that employers pay their fair share, and that the costs are borne by families that can afford it, not by taxing health benefits of hard-working families.

Sample Letter for Campaign

Subject:

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

I'm writing to urge you to SUPPORT the "America's Affordable Health Choices Act," the tri-committee health care reform bill now before the U.S. House of Representatives, and to OPPOSE efforts to weaken it through amendments.

You have an opportunity to make history by finally fixing our nation's broken health care system. This legislation meets all of President Obama's goals by controlling runaway health care costs, offering the American people real choices and expanding access to quality health care.

It has a high-quality, robust public health insurance plan that provides real choices and real competition for private insurance from day one. It calls on corporations to pay their fair share. Like the president's proposal, it calls on those who can afford it to contribute to funding health coverage expansion through a modest tax surcharge. It does not ask the American people to pay more for what they already have.

I urge you to actively support this health reform legislation and to vigorously resist attempts to dilute this bill during the legislative process.

This is your chance to finally address this crisis. Please do it, and do it now. Health care can't wait!

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
July 17, 2009

Background Information

The results of the online 2009 Health Care for America Survey, sponsored by the AFL-CIO and Working America, reveal deep problems that must be fixed. Among the survey's findings:

High and rising health care and insurance costs are keeping people from getting needed health care. More than half say they cannot get the health care they need at a price they can afford, and the problem is even more acute among people who buy their own insurance, Hispanics and young adults.

A third of all respondents forgo basic medical care because of costs. More than one-quarter of people with insurance—and three-quarters of those without insurance—report skipping basic health care services such as doctor-recommended tests and treatments and visiting a doctor when sick.

Having health insurance does not shelter families from high costs or difficulty getting care. Fully 43 percent of people with insurance say they are not able to get the care they need at a price they can afford. And 80 percent of those with insurance say their health care costs increased this past year, with 34 percent saying they increased a lot.

As the economy has worsened, health care has been lost along with jobs. Nearly a quarter of respondents say someone in their household lost health care coverage in the past year because of losing or changing jobs.

Once health care disappears, it's hard to get back. One-quarter of those without health insurance say they were denied coverage in the past year due to "pre-existing conditions."

Health care is costlier and harder to access for people who cannot get employer-provided coverage or Medicare and buy insurance in the private market. Sixty-two percent of them say they cannot get the care they need at an affordable price, compared with 39 percent of people with employer-provided coverage.

The uninsured are in a dire situation, with 96 percent saying they cannot get the care they need at an affordable cost.

Ninety-seven percent of people who took the survey, including 96 percent of those with insurance, say that given the current economic crisis, health care reform is urgent.

By far, most people (83 percent) say health insurers have too much influence on their health care and treatment.

The House health care reform bill will address all these concerns. Click here to learn more about it.