|
Welcome to UU Voices for Health Care
|
Written by Thomas Atwood
|
|
Saturday, 01 August 2009 08:08 |
A call to build on the momentum of the election of 2008 The quality of American health care reform in 2009 is in our hands. The urgency in the coming weeks is to ensure that we can all access affordable care. Each of the bills reported out by three Congressional committees includes a public insurance option similar to Medicare, but the future of this provision is still uncertain.
Unlike the version drafted by Senator Kennedy’s committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, it appears that the Senate Finance Committee version will include a “coverage cooperative” modeled after rural electricity providers instead of a public insurance option. The nation that created Social Security and Medicare stands poised to leave our health care system in the hands of a private, for-profit industry with a track record of arbitrary premiums, unfeeling bureaucracy, and denial of care.
Congress adjourned for the August recess on Friday, July 31, and each delay strengthens the opposition.
The existing proposals have some good provisions. The consolidated version of the legislation that eventually passes is likely to put an end to the abusive practice of denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions. It will probably also set maximum limits on the amount a family is required to spend on health care in a year.
We are closer than ever to our goals. Yet, Congressional aides report that opponents of reform are calling their offices in greater numbers than we are. We need to join the national conversation about the proper role of government, and |
|
Last Updated ( Tuesday, 13 October 2009 11:28 )
|
|
Read more: If not now, when?
|
|
|
PICO cosigns letter to Reid re affordability |
 |
 |
 |
|
Written by Marianna for PICO
|
|
Tuesday, 03 November 2009 21:20 |
|
October 30, 2009 House nails affordability for working families, now it's time for the Senate to do the same House leadership unveiled legislation yesterday that would extend affordable health coverage to 36 million Americans, while taking important steps to control health care costs, all without adding to the federal deficit. While important issues remain to be resolved, the bill shows that it is possible to provide adequate subsidies to make coverage affordable to low-wage working families, while being fiscally responsible. As a network of 52 faith-based community organizations representing more than one thousand faith communities and more than one million families, PICO now urges Senate leaders to follow suit by lowering premiums and out of pocket costs for low-income families in their version of the legislation. "The House bill shows that it is possible to make coverage more affordable without busting the budget, so long as Congress is willing to stand up to special interests. We expect the same level of moral leadership from the Senate," said Rev. Heyward Wiggins, Co-chair, PICO National Network. Today, 160 organizations from 39 states, including faith, labor, consumer, public health and patient organizations representing millions of American families, sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid urging him to reject a proposal that would increase premiums for low-wage working families, and instead to ensure that Senate legislation makes insurance more affordable for precisely these families who have been hardest-hit by the economic downturn. ###
|
|
Last Updated ( Sunday, 08 November 2009 17:53 )
|
|
|
Minutes of December meeting |
|
|
|
|
Written by Michelle Rosenaur
|
|
Sunday, 27 December 2009 17:02 |
UU Voices for Health Care at UUFRCTuesday, Dec. 22, 2009 at 7 pm at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Redwood CityAttending: Thomas Atwood (facilitator), Deanna Davenport, Jody Ferguson, Shawn Lewis, Debbie Mytels, Veronica Palmer, Pamela Parkinson (new attendee), Michelle Rosenaur, Marianna Tubman, Bill Welch.
Guest Speakers (by phone): Ellen Shaffer and Lee Lawrence
The main item of business was to review and discuss a document called “Comparison of health care status quo with Senate and House health reform bills,” a document created by the PICO National Network.
With the help of Ellen Shaffer and Lee Lawrence, the team came up with a list of “Things Worth Advocating”, which is as follows:
- Have the ban on denial of coverage based on pre-existing take effect sooner (especially to protect children)
- Keep limits on coverage caps
- Improve affordability
- Keep small business protections
- Keep medical loss ratio
- Keep preventative care
- House version of dependent coverage (27 years)
- House version of employer benefits tax
- Make it possible for states to adopt single payer systems
- Public option
- Surtax on the wealthy
- Reproductive rights
- Immigration rights
After identifying these items, each team member voted for the three issues most important to him or her. We identified the following priorities among the issues we can advocate for during the upcoming conference process: - Improve affordability (7 votes)
- Add stronger provisions that make it possible for states to adopt single payer systems (5 votes)
- Include a strong public option, available on day one to all (4 votes)
- Pay for reform with a surtax on high incomes if required (3 votes)
|
|
Last Updated ( Tuesday, 05 January 2010 20:26 )
|
|
Read more: Minutes of December meeting
|
|
|
|
Feed Entries