Thursday, June 25, 2009

National Day of Health Care Service - June 27

The fight for health care reform isn't something that will just happen in Washington, D.C. We know that for so many people in our communities, America's broken health care system is a daily crisis -- and there are ways that we can help right now. Join the National Health Care Day of Service on Saturday, June 27th. Sign up to serve here.

If there is no service event near you on Saturday, you can still help by talking with family, friends and neighbors about the importance of our having the choice of a public health care option in any reform bill that comes out of Congress. For an informed opinion about why the critics of a public option for health care are wrong, please read this article by Robert Reich, a former US Secretary of Labor.

Sunday, June 7, 2009

We Care About Health Care

Yesterday morning I spent two and half hours talking about health care reform with vendors and visitors at the Chelsea Farmers' Market. I must have approached 40 or 50 people, most of them local residents, to find out what their concerns are. The theme that ran through all my conversations was "our health care system is broken and needs to be fixed - now!"

Thirty people signed a petition to our US Congressional Representative, Mark Schauer, and Michigan's US Senators, Levin and Stabenow, urging them to make sure legislation for quality, affordable health care passes this year and that it includes a public health care option. About a dozen more asked for printed information so they could look it over and decide what action to take. I was happy to oblige.

The public health care option (think of something like Medicare, or the plan that covers US Senators and Representatives) will reduce costs, be reliable and would test the idea of a single-payer system. It is being opposed by health insurance lobbyists. Only the concerted action of lots of Involved Voters can counter their considerable influence.

For information: www.healthreform.gov and www.healthcareforamericanow.org

Saturday, June 6, 2009

Health Care Reform - Get Informed

Today Organizing for America is holding kickoff activities around the country to help Involved Voters get up to speed about what's needed to get health care reform passed this year and why.

For a good summary of the economics of health care, I recommend reading this article: "Health Care Reform is an Economic Necessity".