Health Care Reform

This is it—Congress is shaping health care reform legislation right now. No other group is able to mobilize like we can! What the union movement does over the next few weeks will determine whether we win health care reform that:

•  Controls costs

•  Provides guaranteed coverage for all Americans

•  Holds insurance companies accountable

• Includes a public health insurance plan option

• Requires all employers to pay their fair share

• Rejects new taxes that would hurt working families—costs are crushing us already.

NEXT STEPS FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS FOR HEALTH CARE

• Over the next two weeks, we’re counting on union leaders to:

• Meet with targeted members of Congress.

• Get calls and letters to Congress from at least 10 percent of your members. Make time during regular meetings and schedule special worksite and union hall letter-writing and calling events.

• Mobilize members for the Sept. 30–Oct. 6 letter-writing week (we’ll provide tips and talking points for letters).

Sample Letter to  Specter

Sample Letter to Holden

• Push for members to call Congress on Oct. 7, the national call-in day.

• Invite the media to your letter-writing and calling events and when you deliver letters to senators and representatives (we’ll provide media advisories).

• State federation leaders: Join the fly-in to lobby Congress in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 7 and 8.

In the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday, two amendments to add a public insurance option were considered. Both amendments defeated. The Rockfeller Amendment, which would allow the public plan to compete with private insurance based on Medicare reimbursement rates was defeated by 15-8. Senator Chuck Schumer, D-NY, offered an amendment which mandates that the government negotiates rates with health care providers, like private insurers do.

For more information on health insurance reform, visit

http://www.aflcio.org/issues/healthcare/

For informative fact sheets, visit http://healthcareforamericanow.org/site/content/lose#fact

To learn more about what the public option is, and isn't, click here.