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Let the New Congress Know About H.R. 676
You can take action on this alert by reading the information below and following the
directions at the bottom.
Single-Payer Healthcare
Universal, single-payer health care has been a Gray Panthers priority since the idea first took hold among progressives. Many of you have taken action to make single-payer health care a national priority, and we thank you. But the fight for guaranteed health care is ongoing. Although reforming health care is a priority of the new Obama Administration, it's no secret that President Obama is NOT fighting for a single-payer program. He has said, however, that if Congress brings him a single-payer bill, he will sign it. Our task now is to convince Congress that a single-payer program and specifically, support of H.R. 676 is the best path to health care reform.
Problem:
H.R. 676, sponsored by Representative John Conyers (D-MI), is legislation that ensures that ALL Americans have guaranteed coverage for comprehensive, quality, affordable health care. However, it has consistently been left out of health care policy discussions. Some new legislators and their staff are unfamiliar with the bill while others are unaware that it has been reintroduced in the new Congress. This is unacceptable!
Solution:
We must make our legislators aware that H.R. 676 is on the legislative docket, as it has been for 6 years, and that it is NOT going away! Legislators need to know that H.R. 676 has been re-introduced in Congress with changes that protect displaced health-insurance company workers. Our goal is to get 150 co-sponsors of H.R. 676 in the House of Representatives by the end of February, so that single-payer will become a serious proposal in the national health care discussion.
Gray Panthers supports a single-payer, nonprofit, publicly-funded and universal health care system that covers all medically necessary health care, including preventive care, dental care, mental health, alcohol/chemical dependency services, patient counseling, prescription drugs, and long-term care. As Gray Panthers, WE should be at the forefront of this fight. Single payer health care has been our issue for decades and we must continue to fight back with determination and facts.
Action Needed:
It is critical that single-payer health care be seriously considered during the national health care discussion. Our legislators must take leadership on the issue of single-payer health care and on other future policy decisions in health care reform. We must let our legislators know that HR 676 exists, and that it is the only fair, cost-effective, and truly universal approach to health care reform! Take action to urge your U.S. Representative to cosponsor H.R. 676 and future single-payer healthcare legislation.
To find out whether your Representative is already a cosponsor of HR 676, please click the "More" button below. If they are, please thank them. If they are not, please urge them to get on board.
Deadline for responding: Please take action by 2/28/2009.
Your message will be sent to each of the following targets:
Your U.S. Representative
A sample message appears below, which you may edit before sending.
Please Co-Sponsor Single-Payer Healthcare Legislation H.R. 676
Dear Representative,
Health care is a basic human need - and a basic human right. America spends a greater portion of its gross domestic product on health care than any other country, yet we are the only industrialized country in the world that does not provide comprehensive health care to all its citizens. We have the most advanced health care technology in the world, but millions of Americans cant afford it. Our health indicators are dismal compared to other countries; our information systems are disjointed and antiquated; we spend billions on excess profit and administrative waste; and we lack effective mechanisms for controlling costs. With over 46 million uninsured and 42 million significantly underinsured Americans, it is evident that the American healthcare system is crisis.
Public officials continue to propose private, insurance-based policies to address this crisis. But we know from experience that these programs will benefit the private insurance companies more than they will the American people. We need REAL CHANGE!
There is one bill currently before you that addresses all these issues: H.R. 676, sponsored by Representative John Conyers. This legislation will provide comprehensive, single-payer health coverage for all U.S. residents. HR 676 has been re-introduced in this session of Congress with changes that protect displaced health-insurance company workers.
Single-payer healthcare is the most effective and cost-effective path to healthcare reform, and needs to be a serious part of the national health care discussion. Political leadership from legislators like you can move it forward. We ask that you become a co-sponsor of HR 676 and help ensure comprehensive, quality, affordable health care for ALL Americans.
Sincerely, Your name and address here
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This Action Alert Campaign is Closed.
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