Call Now - Health Care Reform to be Decided This Week

From Disability Policy Collaboration (3.16.10):

Call Your Representative NOW!!

The House to Vote on Health Care Reform this Week
It is finally here!  After decades of waiting and over a year of negotiating, the vote to pass final health reform is now upon us. The House of Representatives will vote to pass the Senate health reform bill at the end of this week.  If that vote fails, health reform is dead for this year and likely for years to come.   We cannot let that happen. We are too close to finally passing real reform and too much is at stake for people with disabilities.  Click to Download the provisions that are most important to people with disabilities (Download Disability Policy Collaboration).
Even though the House and the Senate have both passed their versions of health care reform, the only way forward for the bill is for the House to vote on the Senate version of the bill. Some representative in the House are debating on whether to vote for or against the bill.  Even if they voted for the House bill in the past, many are still weighing their options. Your voice matters now more than ever.  Call TOLL FREE 1-800-828-0498
Check how your representative voted, if they voted for the bill, thank them and ask for their vote again.  If they didn't vote for the bill, tell them how much it matters to you.

House YES vote (HR 3962)
Thank you for your vote last November in support of health care reform.  As your constituent, I am proud to know that you have been a supporter of health reform in the past and hope that you will vote YES for the Senate bill, when it comes to a vote. Now is the time for health care reform.  People with disabilities in our community cannot wait much longer.  We need affordable, quality coverage that will not be taken away from us, even when we get sick, have a pre-existing condition, or lose our jobs. 
Thank you for all of your hard work.

Feel free to comment on your views about the Health Bill?

Comments

[Diana]

I wasn't able to download the provisions that are most important to people with disabilities. I think the link is bad.

[Sally Demeters]

these bills are garbage and will drive up the cost of health care. real reform has not yet been talked about

[Diana]

Eliminating pre-existing condition restrictions is hardly "garbage."

[Barbara Coppens]

you need to do better job that is bed for people with Disabilites this has been going on to long,

[Ric]

Not sure if JFA is being dishonest or just not thinking. How can anyone provide "free" health care to "millions" and maintain the same level of services? The ever dwindling numbers of taxpayers will eventually run out of money and services WILL be reduced. And who do you think will be cut first? US. People with disabilities. According to most of the world (and Peter Singers), people with disabilities are not worth the "investment" of expensive care. What is being proposed under the guise of "health care reform" will hurt people with disabilities first and hardest.

[Waste of time]

These bills are a waste of time. Forcing people to purchase health insurance is not "reform."

We need single-payer comprehensive care that includes all the provisions that the AAPD cares about.

[FrankLivingFully]

As a person who worked more than 30 years in education as a medical and then as a sciences librarian, I can tell you these bills are not a waste of time. I have seen too many close friends and family members struggling with inadequate and unavailable health care. At least the current Senate reform bill is a good start toward adequate health insurance for 95% of all Americans. For example, over the last three years about 12.6 million non-elderly U.S. citizens have been unable to buy their own health insurance because health insurance companies will not insure people like me with pre-existing conditions. There are at least three very good initial starting positives for the proposed health reform. First, people will not be mandated to buy insurance until about 2014. 2nd, the vast majority of people with employer sponsored health insurance will have insurance and not need to buy more. Third, one reform among many which takes place immediately is that state high-risk pools will be improved so that people with pre-existing conditions can purchase health insurance. Just think of the people with severe chronic illnesses like cancer, heart disease, respiratory illness like copd and severe asthma, and diabetes who will be able to buy insurance and save their own lives. About 40,000 people like this die each year because they are uninsured and don't have access to health care. See this good summary of issues the current health reform proposal addresses around the terrible exclusion of sick adults:http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/denied_coverage/index.html

[patient treatment]

We just have to consider the pros and cons of the health reform. Whatever it is, I hope we get more benefits from it.