I don't know what President Obama is doing behind the scenes, but it seems to me that he ought to more out front in supporting specific aspects of the respective House and Senate health reform bills, especially as it deals with the public option.
THIS COMES FROM AN ANALYSIS BY THE D.C. PRESS INSIDERS WHO HAVE ASKED WHAT WILL DETERMINE THE CONGRESSIONAL RESPONSE TO THE More Progressive aspects of the HealthCare Reform Legislation.
Minnesota's March for Healthcare - in conjuction with the nationwide movement of marches on Sunday, September 13 to demand real healthcare reform.
In cooperation with TakeActionMN
Sunday, September 13, 2009 at 12 noon
Phillips Park
1530 E. Franklin Ave.
Minneapolis, MN
Speakers:
Congressman Keith Ellison
John Marty, State Senator and Candidate for Governor
Reverend Grant Stevenson
Erin Murphy, State Representative
For more information visit www.march4healthcare.com
email: mnhealthcarereform@gmail.com
[This event is not sponsored or affiliated with Organizing for America. It is a truly grassroots action at its most powerful! and finest!]
August 17, 2009
President Barack Obama
The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500
Dear President Obama:
I write to you in support of a comprehensive health care reform bill that includes a public option and universal coverage.
Mr. President, universal coverage has been debated in this country since before the Great Depression. We are living in a historic time, a time when our country has recently inaugurated you, and given your party a sizable majority in both houses of Congress. You are well aware that, historically, the election cycle after a president first takes office has not been kind to the party in charge at the White House.
We’ve all seen the pictures on Fox “News” (sic) and the other cable outlets of the right-wing crazies screaming at their elected representatives around the country. And we’ve all heard the outrageous lies that the opposition has spewed, as they’ve played to people’s worst fears.
That is all the more reason that NOW is the time to pass a bill that lowers the spiraling costs of American health care, includes coverage of ALL American citizens, and includes a public option. Mr. President, if you retreat now, your party may never have another opportunity to act decisively on this issue.
I feel compelled to share the story with you of my close friend Phil, who died of heart failure on July 14, 2004, two months shy of his 41st birthday. To this day, I am bitter about his death, and contend that the reason he is no longer alive is because the health insurance industry’s “death panels” killed him by refusing him coverage. And, unfortunately, his story is not unique.
As well as being a uniquely gifted musician, Phil had worked as a youth minister for a number of churches in both the Milwaukee and Detroit areas. Phil had struggled with obesity his entire life, and eventually developed diabetes. With benefit of an employer’s health insurance coverage, he was managing the disease. But when he lost his job, he was unable to afford the costs of COBRA coverage, and his insurance lapsed. With little income, he could no longer afford the high costs of purchasing the insulin his doctors had prescribed. And when several months later he found another job, he was ineligible for insurance coverage because the insurance company ruled his diabetes was a “pre-existing condition”. Eventually, several years of the untreated diabetes took its toll, and Phil suffered a series of “silent” heart attacks. Phil had just moved back to Wisconsin to care for his ailing father when he was hospitalized, and quickly transferred to a major teaching hospital. By the time doctors discovered the damage to his heart it was already too late. The only thing that might save him was a heart transplant. But because Phil was without health insurance, the hospital sent him home with a family member to wait for a call telling him that they had found a heart donor. He died that same evening. Had Phil not been denied coverage, he would probably be alive today. Over the years he would have been a strong, positive influence on the lives of countless young people.
NOW is the time to quit talking, and to do something about it. While it would be nice, we do not need the Republicans to go along with us on this issue. Unfortunately, rather than working to solve the problems facing our country, they have chosen instead to be the “Party of NO”.
In the memory of my friend Phil, I encourage you and the Democratic Party to do the right thing and finally pass a health care reform bill that includes universal coverage and a public option.
Now is our moment.
Sincerely,
Gregory W. Smith
PS – With all due respect, Mr. President, let’s get this important issue behind us soon so that we can roll up our sleeves and go to work on the issue of comprehensive immigration reform.
I believe President Obama needs to keep his discussion of health insurance reform simple. Use three or four talking points, such as 1) status quo is not an option, 2) people may keep their current coverage and doctors, 3) importance of changes to eliminate pre-existing conditions and other insurance reasons to deny coverage, and 4) while not often stated, insurance company bureaucrats - not always the doctor - currently decide what treatments a patient gets.
By keeping it simple, people will more easily understand the issues and will be more likely to support the president's efforts.
