[Peace-discuss] Fwd: [cchcc-l] SUBJECT: Health Reform - TAKE ACTION TODAY!

Thu Mar 18 09:23:29 CDT 2010

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: CCHCC <cchcc at healthcareconsumers.org>
Date: Thu, Mar 18, 2010 at 9:11 AM
Subject: [cchcc-l] SUBJECT: Health Reform - TAKE ACTION TODAY!
To: cchcc-l at lists.shout.net

Dear Friends,

We at Champaign County Health Care Consumers (CCHCC) have been closely
monitoring the progress toward passing health reform legislation, and we
want to provide you with some important updates, and ask you to take
action to help push health reform forward.

Please read below for more information on:

1. HEALTH REFORM UPDATES;
2. HOW THE 15TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS WILL BENEFIT FROM
HEALTH REFORM; AND,
3. HOW TO TAKE ACTION TODAY.

******************************
1. HEALTH REFORM UPDATES

Health reform is moving forward! There are several new important
developments:

A. The timeline has changed a little bit -- Last week we were told to
expect a vote on health reform this week, on Thursday. However, now the
vote may not come until this weekend.

The reason for the change in the timeline is that the Congressional
Budget Office is finalizing its analysis of the health reform package,
and Congressional leaders hope to allow 72 hours to review the final
legislation before the vote.

B. The process for passing health reform has changed a little bit, but
don't let it throw your focus! The House is now planning to get the
health reform vote on the Senate bill, and the budget reconciliation
bill, through a more streamlined process called "deeming." This would
involve voting on a resolution that would simply "deem" the Senate
health reform bill passed in order to allow unhappy House members to
avoid a direct vote on the Senate bill, and then the House would proceed
to a separate vote on the more popular changes to the Senate bill. This
would essentially allow the House to pass the Senate bill, plus the
budget reconciliation bill (which includes important "fixes" to the
Senate bill) as a package and much more efficiently than having to vote
on the Senate bill separately, wait for the President to sign that, and
then go back and vote on the budget reconciliation.

Critics are focusing on process and crying "foul" about deeming. However
using the deeming process is not unusual, and it has been used by both
parties, and the end result is the same: health reform is created by
passage of the Senate health bill, plus important changes to that bill
enacted by passage of the budget reconciliation bill. Critics would
rather focus on process in order to avoid focusing on the content of the
legislation.

C. A big victory toward the health reform legislation is Rep. Kucinich's
announcement yesterday that he has switched his vote and WILL support
health reform! He recognizes this health reform package as an important
first step toward important improvements to our nation's health care system.

*************************
2. HOW THE 15TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS WILL BENEFIT FROM
HEALTH REFORM

The House Committee on Energy and Commerce just released a report that
shows how each Congressional District will benefit under health reform.

This analysis examines the benefits of the legislation in the 15th
Congressional District of Illinois, which is represented by Rep. Timothy
V. Johnson.
In Rep. Johnson’s district, the health care reform bill will:
- Improve coverage for 430,000 residents with health insurance.
- Give tax credits and other assistance to up to 173,000 families and
13,200 small businesses to help them afford coverage.
- Improve Medicare for 106,000 beneficiaries, including closing the
donut hole.
- Extend coverage to 24,500 uninsured residents.
- Guarantee that 8,100 residents with pre-existing conditions can obtain
coverage.
- Protect 1,200 families from bankruptcy due to unaffordable health care
costs.
- Allow 72,000 young adults to obtain coverage on their parents’
insurance plans.
- Provide millions of dollars in new funding for 8 community health
centers.
- Reduce the cost of uncompensated care for hospitals and other health
care providers by $48 million annually.
- There are 8 community health centers in the district that provide
health care to the poor and medically underserved. Nationwide, the
legislation would provide $11 billion in new funding for these centers.
If the community health centers in the district receive the average
level of support, the 8 centers will receive $10.4 million in new
assistance.

************
3. TAKE ACTION! MAKE TOLL-FREE CALLS FOR HEALTH REFORM!

Families USA, a national consumer health advocacy organization, is
providing advocates from all around the country with a toll-free number
you can use to call legislators in Washington, DC to advocate for
passage of health reform. Please take some time to make these important
phone calls.

THE TOLL-FREE CAPITOL SWITCHBOARD NUMBER IS: 1-866-922-4970

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU CALL: You will hear a brief pre-recorded message
from Families USA and then you will be connected to an operator. Tell
the operator the name of the Representative or Senator you're trying to
reach, and you will be connected to their office. Once you reach their
office, you will leave a message with a staffer (or if after hours, on
an answering/voicemail system).

WHO TO CALL:
We are asking advocates to focus their attention on the House members
right now, since they need to first pass the Senate health bill. If
you're an Illinois resident, please feel free to call your
Representative, as well as other Illinois representatives and tell them
that you're calling because Illinois needs health reform!

There are three Illinois Democratic Representatives who are undecided on
health reform or who are pledging to vote no: Lipinski, Bean, and
Costello. We urge you to give them a call, even if you are not in their
district. Of course, if you know someone in their districts, urge that
person to call them. The Congressional Republicans have vowed to vote
against health reform, but if you have time and energy, you can call and
let Rep. Tim Johnson know how you feel.

Congressman Tim Johnson - Champaign area 15th District
Congressman Daniel Lipinski - west/southwest suburbs of Chicago
Congresswoman Melissa Bean - northern suburbs of Chicago
Congressman Jerry Costello - Metro East area of Illinois

SUGGESTED MESSAGE:
"I am calling today to urge __________ to support health care reform and
move forward with the legislative process. Illinois residents will
benefit from health reform, and I want you to vote yes, for all Illinois
residents. Thank you."

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

We are in the home stretch in getting health reform passed. Please don't
ease up now! Now is the time to push!

As always, we at CCHCC thank you for your support and your activism!

Best wishes,
Claudia Lennhoff, CCHCC Executive Director

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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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-- 
Robert Naiman
Policy Director
Just Foreign Policy
www.justforeignpolicy.org
naiman at justforeignpolicy.org

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