[Peace-discuss] URGENT: CCHCC: Call President Obama TODAY!

[Jenifer Cartwright]

Please contact the White House Comment Line at 202-456-1111 or the White
House Switchboard at 202-456-1414. Do it NOW.
 --Jenifer

--- On Tue, 9/8/09, Allison Jones <allison at healthcareconsumers.org> wrote:



Dear Friends,

Tomorrow, President Obama will deliver a major speech to the joint Congress
-- both the House and the Senate -- where he will tell Congress what he
wants to see in the health reform legislation.

Champaign County Health Care Consumers believes that REAL national health
reform requires that a strong public health insurance plan be made available
to everyone, and not just as an insurer of last resort.

We also believe that REAL national health reform should also clear the way
for states to enact their own single-payer health reform, if they so choose.

Please read below for more information on each of these topics, and see the
TAKE ACTION section at the bottom of this message.

Please join us in urging President Obama to call on Congress to:
a. Make Medicare THE public health insurance option in health reform
legislation; and 
b. Clear the way to let states implement their own single-payer health
systems.

A. ABOUT THE MEDICARE PUBLIC OPTION:
We believe that the public insurance plan should not just be a
"Medicare-like" plan, but Medicare itself!  Medicare, our nation's
government health insurance for those aged 65 and older and people with
disabilities, is our nation's most effective health insurance.

Medicare has low overhead, compared to private health insurance companies,
and members are not denied coverage due to pre-existing conditions and are
not discriminated against based on age or gender. Medicare is widely
accepted by most health care providers, so people with Medicare can go to
the doctor of their choice. Why invent a new public insurance, rather than
building on the excellent Medicare system?  Medicare will benefit from
having more younger and healthier enrollees!

B. ABOUT CLEARING THE WAY FOR STATES TO PASS THEIR OWN SINGLE-PAYER
LEGISLATION:
We in Illinois have an opportunity to pass state-wide single-payer
legislation with HB 311. Single-payer health insurance is a form of
universal health coverage (health coverage for all) in which a single
public/governmental or quasi-public agency organizes health financing and
payment for health services, but delivery of care remains largely private.
Single-payer health insurance reduces overhead costs, eliminates insurance
discrimination, and increases efficiency. However, federal regulations make
it difficult for states to implement single-payer legislation.

Rep. Kucinich introduced the Kucinich Amendment in order to enable states to
establish single-payer systems. Kucinich's amendment, which the House
Education and Labor Committee adopted, would relieve states from a provision
in the Employee Retirement Income Security Act that lets the federal
government block state programs that impinge on employer-based health care
plans. Several states, including Illinois, New York, California, and Kansas,
are working toward launching state-run single-payer programs, and this
amendment would clear their path. Because Illinois has a viable single-payer
bill (HB 311), the Kucinich Amendment is an especially exciting opportunity.

***************************
TAKE ACTION:

Please join us in urging President Obama to call on Congress to make
Medicare THE public health insurance option in health reform legislation,
and to clear the way for states to enact their own single-payer health
reforms.

Please contact the White House Comment Line at 202-456-1111 or the White
House Switchboard at 202-456-1414.

SAMPLE MESSAGE:
"I would like to thank President Obama for his efforts on national health
reform. I would like to urge him to call on Congress to enact two very
important provisions to national health reform:
a. Make Medicare THE public health insurance option in health reform
legislation; and, b. Support the Kucinich amendment to clear the way to let
states implement their own single-payer health systems.  Thank you."

******************************

Thank you for your support and your activism!

To learn more about the Kucinich Amendment and other national health reform
information, please attend the Community Meeting on National Health Reform
this Thursday, September 10, 2009 at 6:30 p.m. at the Champaign Public
Library.

For more information, visit:
http://www.healthcareconsumers.org/index.php?action=Display%20Page&id=708

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Champaign County Health Care Consumers
44 E. Main Street  Suite 208
Champaign, IL 61820

Phone: (217) 352-6533
Fax:   (217) 352-9745 
E-mail: cchcc at healthcareconsumers.org
Web:    www.healthcareconsumers.org
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Support health care justice - donate to CCHCC today! Visit our website to make a tax-deductible contribution today. 
http://www.healthcareconsumers.org/index.php?action=Donation
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