Letting congress know what you think about health care reform

With congress set to vote on health care reform in the coming weeks, this would be a great time to let your representative know what you think. I know it seems that congress does not listen, but that is not necessarily true. Members of congress are very concerned to know what the people of their district think. Here are three ways you can let them know how you want them to vote on health care reform.

(1) Call them up. If you follow this link you can obtain the name, address and phone number of your representative. Call your representative and tell the person who answers how you want the representative to vote. Most members keep a tally of calls to gage how the people of their district view an issue.

(2) Write a letter. Make sure you clearly indicate that you live in their district. Your letter WILL be read and they will note your position.

(3) Testify at congress. Have you been waiting for an invitation? Well here it is. CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE OF TEXAS and her staff are spearheading a day of testimonials on Capitol Hill to support Health Care Reform. You are invited to take part in this important hearing. If you are interested in attending or being a witness please RSVP at sphrsa@gwumc.edu.

LOGISTICS:
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee
Health Care Testimonials Day on Capitol Hill Tuesday, October 27, 2009 10am - 12pm
2141 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC

Are people in "government" health insurance plans as satisfied as people in private plans?

Opponents of reforming healthcare often express concern that "government" healthcare will be less desirable than private health insurance. But surveys of satisfaction with various health insurance plans show that people in Medicare (government run) are more satisfied with their health plan than people in private health insurance plans.




Click here for source for chart...

Do you think your health care access is safe?

In the last few days three things happened that graphically illustrate why health care reform cannot wait, and that those of you who think you are secure with your health insurance should rethink your sense of security.

Friday October 2 – The US Department of Labor announced that the economy lost 263,000 jobs in September. This brings the number of jobs lost since December 2007 to 7.2 million. Most of these people probably obtained their health care coverage from their job.

Friday October 2 – All Johns Hopkins University employees who are enrolled in the Blue Cross HMO was notified that the university (the largest private employer in Maryland) was dropping the plan from the set of options for health care coverage, leaving them to select from other more expensive options.

Saturday October 3 - New York Times communist, Nicholas Kristof, reported on the case of David Waddington, a 58-year-old wine retailer in Dallas. As reported by Kristof, “Mr. Waddington has polycystic kidney disease, or PKD, a genetic disorder that leads to kidney failure. First he lost one kidney, and then the other. A year ago, he was on dialysis and desperately needed a new kidney. Doctors explained that the best match — the one least likely to be rejected — would perhaps come from Travis or Michael, his two sons, then ages 29 and 27. Travis and Michael each had a 50 percent chance of inheriting PKD. And if pre-donation testing revealed that one of them had the disorder, that brother might never be able to get health insurance.”

Still feel secure about your health care access?