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Health insurance lobbyists and Big Pharma lobbyists have billions of dollars to spend on diluting or killing health care reform legislation in Congress.
But millions of Americans have millions of personal stories of pain and heartache with a broken health care system that’s a disgrace to the United States, massively costly for little comparative return and, worse of all, literally kills people.
Yesterday, grassroots union leaders came to Washington, D.C., to deliver nearly 50,000 letters from people asking—pleading—their senators to listen to their stories and pass health care reform that’s affordable, includes a public option, doesn’t force working families to pay more than we are already, holds insurance corporations accountable and requires employers to pay their fair share.
The action is part of a massive push by the union movement around health care reform and included yesterday’s National Call-in Day for Health Care Reform and personal visits to lawmakers.
Here are a few samples of what people wrote to Congress. So, will Congress read these letters? Or will they pocket the campaign cash from Big Pharma and Big Health Insurance and turn their backs on America? (H/t to my AFL-CIO blogger colleague Mike Hall for compiling these excerpts.)
From Delaware, Cathy writes Rep. Mike Castle (R-Del.):
I am without health care at this time and can’t afford my meds. I have high blood pressure, high cholesterol and uncontrolled diabetes. If this bill passes, I will get access to the medicine I need to save my life. Please support a strong public option.
Roy in Fargo, N.D., tells Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), who voted against a public option in the Senate Finance Committee, that he has health insurance but still cannot afford health care.
I have over $10,000 in medical bills, and something needs to be done. I voted for you to represent my views. Please support public option.
"I voted for you to represent my views." What a unique thought.
Here’s one from Margaret in Newark, Del., who doesn’t mince words in her letter to Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), another one who voted against a public option in the Senate Finance Committee last week:
Health care is too expensive. Some of us have no health insurance or Medicare. Fix the health care bill now. It should include a strong public option and ensure that employers provide coverage to their employees or pay into a pot.
Jonathan from Maple Falls, Wyo., tells Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.), who supports taxing health care premiums—and who voted against a public option—that he is opposed to having his health care benefits taxed.
I am the sole source of income for a family of five, and, quite frankly, this proposed tax would cut into my grocery and housing money….I have a family of five, a 30-year mortgage, car, insurance costs, etc. You do the math!
Mmm. Is basic math a requirement for the Senate?
In Omaha, Pamela writes to Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) that she recently had appendix surgery and her health care provider only covered $50 out of $17,672.
I am a production employee…and have been paying into my health plan for over two years and feel this is completely ludicrous.
Let’s see. A health care provider that puts $50 toward a nearly $18,000 surgery is paying 0.2829 percent of the bill. Note to provider: Maybe next time pay only $25—that way, you might be able to guarantee the CEO a bigger bonus.
Charles in Arlington, Wash., says that when he voted for Barack Obama and Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), "I voted for change" and that includes health care reform.
We need, and the people have expressed their desire for, real health care reform. This means including the most important aspect of health care reform, providing the American citizens with a public option. This is the ONLY way we can be sure that the health insurance companies in these United States will deal with their clients in an honest and fair fashion.
Charles voted for change in November. And so did the majority of voters.
Hello, Congress? Can you hear us now?
19 Comments
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Excellent post Tula. This is what creeps me out about this new opt-out meme that Josh Marshall says is gaining support on the right and left. It’s brilliant from a partisan political perspective, but of course means that so many of the people that you mention in this post may be left to die because they are represented by fools.
Thanks for these stories Tula. But no one is listening. These are all the same type of stories that the administration itself collected earlier in the year. IIRC roughly 75% of the stories were based on problems with getting the insurance company to pay anything, even if it was “approved” services.
I have no idea why this country now is deciding to keep rewarding the people and industries that have created the mess(es) we live in.
I just hope someone was listening to Keith Olbermann last night!!
“Mmm. Is basic math a requirement for the Senate?”
Not if it involves “them word problems.”
“Hey Senator Baucus, What’s two plus two?”
“Well Mr. Lobbyist. What would you like for it to be?”
basic math ? DeMint, among others proves you don’t even need opposable thumbs
I agree. Unfortunately, it appears that Koppelman over at Salon sorta missed the point.
http://www.salon.com/politics/…..olbermann/
I don’t think the moment was “wasted” at all. On the contrary.
Howdy Tula,
had me a chuckle yesterday to see the Majority Leader suddenly go all bad ass with his caucus . . . the very day y’all were on the Hill
When the overwhelming majority of american favor the public option, NOT ONE senator or congressional representative can vote against it unless they are willing to vote agaist the wishes of their constiuents.
The usual “i gotta vote my district” carp does not apply to this. All over America, the moajority of voters want this reform. Not Madated insurance with no cap on premium costs–which is just private taxation.
It’s not the country.
It is a president and legislators who are not representing the wishes of the majority of those who voted them into office. I swear I don’t think I have seen such blatant disregard of the will of the people in many years, if ever.
It is certainly not democracy or even, as the right wingers love to say, a “republic.”
It is certainly not democracy or even, as the right wingers love to say, a “republic.”
It’s a racket.
Don’t expect Conrad to be at all moved by such constituent messages. He is a disgusting, deplorable individual, just like Max Baucus. They lack conscience and empathy; they only want to serve their corporate overlords and are unconcerned with whatever the consequences of that might be. Increased life loss and bankruptcy are fair game as long as insurance companies prosper.
I couldn’t believe that someone who is supposed to be writing the legislation was so ignorant as to not even know what kind of health care they have in UK, France etc. Unfreaking believable
Voting.
What is it good for? Absolutely nothing.
I’m very very angry.
nah. You need those to re-write the Bible to suit your political party’s propaganda. What these people lack are moral compasses – and souls.
Keep up the pressure, Tula, and thanks for the update. I think there’s a note in there somewhere from me for my Senator, Dianne Feinstein.
There are really two outcomes possible here: Americans get the health care reform we voted for and deserve. Or else we watch hundreds of millions of Americans turn our backs on the system.
It’s simple: do they give us what we want or do we de-legitimize them?
I’ve seen it – how about the protests against the Iraq war? That is my most recent memory of our elected officials deciding to ignore their constituents.
However, I have to agree with you… Haven’t the last two election cycles proven that we can elect officials at a grassroots level and candidates don’t necessarily need corporate cash coffers to get them into office?
I’m pretty much stunned and feel helpless a lot of the time. I keep waiting for that pendulum to swing back from the right but it seems to be stuck.
I want to scream – LISTEN TO US!! We count and what we have to say and think is IMPORTANT! Pass the damn health care reform already!
EXACTLY!! These are the same people that don’t think twice about gunning down or murdering an abortion provider in order to save the life of an non-viable fetus.
It doesn’t make any sense and we’ll drive ourselves crazy trying to figure it out.
Yes, the Iraq war protests were ignored, as well. I still remember so vividly being at a massive NYC protest against the war in early 2003. I was volunteering with an anti-war organization & helping collect donations. It was an incredible day, one I’ll never forget.
Regardless of the outcome of that & of progressive efforts now, we have to do what we believe to be the right thing. And hope that Obama & Congress listen to the people & take action on behalf of the voters & not on behalf of the lobbyists.
I share your helpless feelings much of the time and then tell myself to be patient. The people are often if not always ahead of the politicians and we can hope for them to catch up. This past cycle I did try to go to as many candidate events and question them on specific issues, to at least get their attention.
No matter the power of a government the ground they tread on gets shakier the longer they ignore the wishes and interests of the people. But I hate to contemplate how much unrest may escalate before change.