Health Care For America Now

President Obama went to the House Republican retreat in Baltimore on Friday to rebut right-wing lies about his Presidency and, therefore, health care reform. The insurance industry and their lobbyists were there, too, paying $25,000 each for the privilege of talking with these Republican Members of Congress one-on-one.

And on Saturday morning, in the midst of a big winter snowstorm, the people turned out as well to speak out against Republican obstructionism well funded lobbyists and to voice support for finishing health reform right and finishing it now.

Once again, survivors of horrible insurance company abuses came to town to confront Republican House members who, with the exception of one lone Congressman, voted against health care reform, preferring instead to rally around a woefully inadequate Republican alternative.

Survivors like Marcus Grimes were there. Marcus is 38, from Woodbridge, VA. He is a former teacher who worked at a D.C. charter school that didn't offer health insurance. When he began to lose his sight due to diabetes, he could not afford the treatment or the surgery to reverse the process. He lost sight in one eye, then the other, and became totally blind in 2006. He couldn't afford doctor-recommended surgeries that would have saved his eyesight and couldn't get Medicaid. He's blind because he couldn't get affordable health care.

Braving the elements, Marcus and health reform activists there to give him and the other survivors support made sure Republicans and their well funded lobbyist buddies didn't go unchallenged.

We need health care reform. We've come too far and the country's need is so great. Republicans and their lobbyists won't stand in the way. We need it finished. We need it finished right. And we need it finished now.

Tonight, the President reminded Congress and the country that we need to finish health reform AND finish it right. He said, "Do not walk away from reform. Not now. Not when we are so close. Let us find a way to come together and finish the job for the American people." He's right.

And as we know, it takes more than words to pass health care reform. We have to fight. Harder than ever. Because that's exactly what the insurance industry is doing. And if they win, we lose!

So we have to turn up the heat. For months we've called and written letters, knocked on doors and had meetings. Now we have to do even more.

Right now their lobbyists are using their money and influence to block health care reform every step of the way. They're trying to scare voters and get members of Congress to back down.

We have to dig down deep — everyone of us — to do more to win the health care reform we need.

Yesterday in Washington, DC, hundreds of people rallied for reform. We marched in front of the Chamber of Commerce because the insurance industry gave them tens of millions of dollars to kill health reform. Here's what happened:

We can't let the insurance companies kill reform with their money! Not now. Not this time. We need Congress to stand up to insurance company lobbyists and finish health reform right.

That's why we need to organize actions all over the country to demand that they finish reform and finish it now!

We can't let the insurance companies win. We can't let them put people over profits any more. We can't let them kill reform with their money and power.

There's too much at stake to stop now. Every day that passes without health care reform:

• 6,821 more people lose their health insurance [pdf]
• 2,548 more people file for bankruptcy because they got sick
• 60 more people die [pdf] because they don't have the coverage they need

And the insurance industry keeps raking in money hand-over-fist. The only way we'll win reform is if we rise up as a nation and tell Congress to act now.

More details are coming soon, but we need to start organizing tonight! It's time to finish the reform right.

Will you join us? Will you make a commitment to take action today?

Click here to sign up and help mobilize the country to win the health care reform we desperately need.

We need you to come to an event near you and speak out. We need you to tell your friends, your family, your co-workers - anyone you know who's been victimized by the health insurance industry and needs change. We need you to help host an event in your community - don't worry, we'll help you do it - but we need Congress to get the message loud and clear.

Click here to sign up and join us. We'll be getting together the details in the coming days, but the organizing starts now.

Help us win the change we need. We can't do it without you.

Even more reports are streaming in from states around the country, with hundreds more people showing up to demand Congress finish health care reform right and finish it now.

In Arizona, Rep. Mitchell is getting the message:

In rainy San Francisco, Speaker Pelosi was getting the message:

And in the sunnier parts of California, the rest of the CA delegation was getting the message:

In Illinois, Rep. Schakowsky got the message:

In Indiana, Rep. Hill and Senator Bayh got the message:

In Massachusetts, Senator Kerry was getting the message:

In Montana, Senator Baucus was getting the message:

And in Staten Island, NY, Rep. McMahon was getting the message:

Congress and the President must finish reform, finish reform right, and finish reform now. There's no excuse, and we can't wait!

The Chamber of Commerce has turned into a money-laundering front group. They were paid between $10 and $20 million from the insurance companies to run smear advertisements against health care reform. These ads were up heavy in swing states and districts, so much so that the average television viewer saw these ads two or three times a day if they lived in a targeted area.

All the while, the insurance companies pretended they were in favor of health reform. By laundering money through the Chamber of Commerce, they were allowed to continue their immense lobbying campaign against reform without the negative publicity and accusations of bringing back Harry and Louise they would have faced if they had been honest with the public and Congress about their true position.

All in all, the Chamber spent $123 million on lobbying in 2009, double what they spend in 2008, and most of it likely insurance industry money.

Today, health care supporters in Washington, DC stood up and said they've had enough of the corporate influence in Washington. $123 million of insurance industry blood money can't stop Congress from finishing health care reform, finishing it right, and finishing it now.

Here's what went down in front of the Chamber of Commerce in DC today, directly across from the White House:

More reports are streaming back from the field about Members of Congress getting the message to finish health reform right and finish it now.

In Florida, they're getting the message:

In Missouri, they were getting the message out:

And in St. Louis, Rep. Carnahan is getting the message as well, as labor leaders meet with him in his home offices:

In North Carolina, Congressman Price sat down with citizens to hear the message:

In Virginia, Senator Webb is getting the message:

In Seattle, WA, everyone is getting the message:

Today in Washington, DC, I'll be out protesting the corporate lobbyists and sending this same message to Congress and the White House. If you're in town, join me at noon today! Details here.

Stay tuned for more from the events as they come in!

The American people voted for change in 2008. And they continued voting for change in Massachusetts. And now they're demanding change from Congress.

Hundreds of people across the country showed up at the home offices of Representatives and Senators this weekend to deliver this message: We're still fighting, and you should to! The American people want health care reform and they want it done right - and Congress must deliver, or else!

In Philadelphia, over 200 people turned out with Congressman Chaka Fattah. Accompanied by the Rocky theme song, they ran to the top of the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum and made sure everyone heard loud and clear that we're still fighting for health reform.

Check it out, the video is sure to put a smile on your face:

In Bristol, Pennsylvania, Representative Murphy was on hand to get the message:

In Erie, PA, Congresswoman Dahlkemper got the message:

In Arkansas, the message was delivered to Representatives Snyder and Berry:

Today, thousands of activists around the country are bombarding Congress with calls. Their message? Don't tax health care benefits of middle class families!

Click here to call your elected officials in Congress and give them this message.

The case against taxing the benefits of middle class families is clear. As Lawrence Mishel explains, the idea that a decrease in the cost of health care benefits would inrease a worker's wages is tenuous. More likely, the effect of the tax on worker benefits would be to shift more costs to workers, either in the form of higher deductibles or less health care (which ends up being more expensive later on):

What will happen when a 40% excise tax kicks on plans with higher premiums? Companies will lower the value of the plans (lowering the premiums under the threshold for the excise tax) and make up the difference by raising the amount employees have to pay out of pocket. Or, employers could simply cut benefits. In other words the health care that is now paid for by the insurance plan will, after the excise tax, be paid for by the worker. It is possible that cost shifting to the worker could lower costs in the short run if workers don't spend as much on care, such as not going to the doctor when they have symptoms or postponing that dental clearning. But what if the symptoms were actually the first sign of cancer? Or the lack of preventive dental care led to expensive dental surgery later on? Their delayed care will be more costly - not to mention the consequences for their health.

The excise tax idea is, therefore, directly at odds with the other main goal of health reform - to get people better care. Taxing health care benefits is designed to get employers to spend less on health care. That policy will directly shift costs to you, and that means higher deductibles, less choice of doctors, and worse health benefits.

A tax on benefits will only make health care worse for workers, piling another burden on top of families already struggling in this economy.

There are better ways to pay for health care than this tax, which is in the Senate bill. The House bill, by contrast, is paid for by a small surtax on just 1% of Americans - wealthy couples with over a million dollars in income and individuals with incomes over $500,000. These are people who can afford to pitch in to pay for health care, and they are the ones who should be asked to do it, not the American worker.

House and Senate negotiators continue to look at this issue. House Democratic leaders are looking to change or remove the tax, including talk of expanding the Medicare payroll tax to include investment income as well, a move that would ask those who can afford it to pay more to finance health reform instead of the American worker.

That's why it's crucial to let Congress know how you feel about the excise tax today. Click here to call them and give them a piece of your mind.

There is still time to finish reform right and fix this bill in conference. Will we get national Exchanges that protect consumers? Will we close a gaping Senate bill loophole that could allow insurers to charge more if you are sick? Will we make health care affordable at work by asking employers to pitch in their fair share? These issues are important, and they're worth fighting for.

So please, pick up the phone and talk to your elected officials. Click here to call.

Over the last week, tens of thousands of people have sent a letter to President Obama, Speaker Pelosi, and Majority Leader Reid telling them to finish health reform right. Joining them, hundreds of organizations who care about health reform - from huge international unions to small community groups - and health care and political experts like Jacob Hacker, Wendell Potter, and Mike Lux have also signed on to the letter.

With one voice, we're all fighting for some very important things as the House and Senate health care bills head into conference to be reconciled. Things like:

• Affordable health care for low and middle income people - a mixture of the House and Senate bills
• Affordable health care at work, with employers pitching in their fair share to cover employees, as is done in the House bill
• A financing plan for health reform that doesn't tax middle class health benefits, as is done in the House bill
• Strong insurance regulations like a national exchange and standard benefit plans, like those in the House bill
• And a national public health insurance option, like the House bill

These things are important. They will lower cost to government and to people. They will hold the insurance industry accountable and do away with their bad practices. They will increase competition. And they will make health care for you and me better.

These things are worth fighting for, and so we're sending an important message.

Next week, we'll be turning up the volume. We've got a television ad all set to go, sending a clear message to Congress and the White House that important things must be fixed in conference. The ad is set to run in all 50 states and Washington, DC, guaranteeing our politicians get the message.

Watch it:

Can you help us put this ad on the air? It's the end of the year, so can you chip in $10 to help us finish health reform right? Click here to donate securely online and help us turn up the volume.

We've put together a video of the event out in Chicago, where small business owners from around the country tried to confront Karen Ignagni about her industry's job-killing ways. Ignagni, as usual, didn't show up to look these people in the eye. In her absence, they told their stories about how health care cost them jobs, and how reform would bring them back.

Watch:

As we speak, Health Care for America Now, our partners across the country, and six small business owners are taking on the insurance companies for killing jobs, denying care, and using our premiums to kill health care reform.

Will Karen Ignagni, the insurance companies' top lobbyist, show up and have the courage to look these small business owners in the eye?

I'll be uploading photos from the event as it happens. Check them out below:

And I'll be writing up the results as soon as the event is concluded. Stay tuned!