It's time to catch up with President Obama's Healthcare Agenda. This has been a very active week on Capital Hill with the Senate Finance Committee moving full steam ahead on the healthcare reform policy of President Obama.
President Obama's healthcare reform calls for a major over-haul of how America is used to providing and receiving healthcare services. The healthcare reform will make available for the first time in American history a public health insurance alternative to conventional health insurance.
What is a public health insurance program? This public health insurance is not a public welfare choice and it will encompass major, major changes in healthcare delivery in America. The ultimate goal is that control will shift from industry providers to consumers who will have more options to purchase healthcare services at a reduced cost. The driving force of the public insurance program is cost affordability for all Americans. In the current system, we know the poor and needy cannot afford quality healthcare.
Under the leadership of Senate Finance Committee Chairman Baucus, we must support Chairman Baucus, the Committee, and all of our Congressional colleagues who will fight for healthcare reform that guarantees quality, affordable health coverage for everyone in America, including a standard, comprehensive benefit package and the choice of a public health insurance plan that will always be there when we need it.
Now that we know that Chairman Baucus is moving swiftly with his colleagues, we must remember the fight that is expected by lobbyists, etc. The fight can be won by us and we must stand strong behind our new Presidential leadership to keep them strong to accomplish this healthcare reform. How can you keep the strength behind the Senate Finance Committee?
(1) Remember that the Senate Finance Committee is focused on healthcare reform and the funds that will be necessary for the operation of a public health insurance program;
(2) Remember that every American will be eligible to receive quality healthcare services including in the event of a job loss under COBRA Subsidies (federally-funded programs);
(3) Employers will readily contest a public health insurance program and threaten even more job losses if it is passed (yawn);
(4) Remember the health privacy act WILL continue to be in effect;
(5) Remember a public healthcare reform is necessary and a part of the Economic Recovery plan;
(6) Remember that the Senate Finance Committee needs to hear from each of us frequently for encouragement to stand tough against the "old" healthcare policy that we have suffered from in one form or another; and
(7) Remember that more and more children will be elgible for health insurance with increased S-CHIP funding through the public health insurance program.
Now, we have been in a rather complacent mode as we watch President Obama jump out the gate on Capital Hill. We each made promises to do better to support President Obama. Not because he is black, but especially because he is black and he symbolizes a "new" blackness where we can finally maximize our voting powers and political weight. Please don't stay complacent. This is crucial!
Having said that, we need to be as willing and active as possible to keep the motivation for a public healthcare program alive and moving by the Senate Finance Committee. So, the organization, Healthcare For America Now (www.healthcareforamericanow.org) is making it so easy to show our support of the Senate Finance Committee.
We are being asked by Healthcare For America Now (www.healthcareforamericanow.org) to write the Senate Finance Committee and simply "thank" them for getting started quickly on this very important piece of the Economic Reform Plan. When we do this, we are sending a message of moral support and encouragement that they are making the right decisions. We are showing them that we care enough about ourselves and our families to really want this healthcare system fixed.
Of course, Healthcare For America Now has a form you can complete in under 6 minutes and then send it automatically to the entire Senate Finance Committee. Please visit
www.healthcareforamericanow.org and say, "Thank you." to the Senate Finance Committee.
If you know that your Senator is a part of the Senate Finance Committee and you wish to write them separately or fax them separately, please see some sample language and talking points in Part 2.
Agnes B. Levine
Obama Healthcare Advocacy Team
Posted By: agnes levine
Saturday, February 28th 2009 at 9:17AM
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