Workers ‘Becoming Backbone’ of Health Care Reform Effort

The active participation of union members helped to change the tone of the health care reform town hall meetings held during the August congressional recess. What began as forums for anti-Obama propaganda become platforms for real debate over what kind of reform is needed.

Much of the credit goes to union members who have mobilized to take back the town halls from the campaign of misinformation being waged by extremist groups, some backed by corporate donors and fueled with talking points from extremist Republicans.

Even the stalwart conservative newspaper, The Washington Times, had to admit that union members are making a difference in the tone of the town halls. “Members of the nation’s labor unions have made up a hefty segment of the audiences that flocked to town halls Mr. Obama held in the past week, and they have played an even larger role in a nationwide campaign for an insurance overhaul. Financially, and with boots on the ground, unions have become the backbone of the president’s effort,” the paper reported August 17.

The Times quoted Troy Goodson, a member of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 969 in Grand Junction, Colo., who explained why health care reform is needed. Goodson, 55, said he has triplets at home, and their hospital delivery costs alone would have left him underwater financially had he lacked adequate insurance. He said he’s glad to see union members out in force, pushing for the president’s plan.

He told the Times: “The big corporations and the insurance industry, they’re lobbying 24/7. Someone has to fight against that.”

And we are fighting back in a big way.When President Obama held a town hall meeting in Helena, Mont., the crowd inside reached about 1,300, many of them union members. Outside, another 1,100 people rallied for and against reform. The Montana State AFL-CIO reported that 700 of the 1,100 were union members and pro-health care reform supporters, outnumbering opponents by about two to one.
In Nebraska, some 40 people rallied in downtown Omaha August 15 to show their support for health care change. The rally was part of AFSCME’s “Highway to Health Care” tour, which will stop in 21 cities over three weeks. It was organized by AFSCME and the AFL-CIO. The tour also traveled to the state capitol in Lincoln the nest day.

It seems that anti-worker forces are not only using the town halls to oppose health care reform but also are taking aim at the Employee Free Choice Act. The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) has sent out a list of town hall meetings and is encouraging its members to show up and speak out against the bill, which, according to NAM, says “that any version of the [Employee Free Choice Act] is unacceptable to manufacturers.”

In San Mateo County, union members also turned out to support real health care reform at a series of public meetings held by U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier. The San Mateo Daily Journal reported that when Speier spoke with her constituents at the Hot Harvest Nights farmers’ market in San Carlos August 20, she was “surrounded by a large group of mostly supportive spectators.” The front page photo shows that those supporters included union members, including James Ruigomez of Painters District Council 16 and Janny Wan, Flight Attendants Council 11.

“Most of about 100 people gathered around Speier supported the congresswoman’s attempt to overhaul the nation’s health care industry,” the paper reported.

There were also many supporters of HR 676, the single payer health care bill supported by dozens of Labor Councils and State Federations.

The Daily Journal reported that “Dr. David Jacoby pressed Speier to support a meaningful national health insurance option. A private insurance-only option will not do, he said. Jacoby, a primary care physician who practices in San Carlos, said his patients are victimized by private insurance companies who promise everything but deliver much less. Jacoby told Speier Medicare is far easier to work with than private insurance companies.”

Speier said she supports Obama’s plan, America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009, because it eliminates co-pays for preventative care, protects people with pre-existing health conditions and puts a cap on out-of-pocket expenses.

While the large majority of those attending town hall meetings across the country want real discussion about health care reform, loud, shouting and rowdy mobs had been disrupting the events. They’re organized by far-right and corporate backed anti-health care reform and anti-government groups. AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka said there’s one main reason for the mob action.
“Major health care reform is closer than ever to passage and it is no secret that special interests want to weaken or block it.”

Trumka notes that the America’s politics are “passionate, heartfelt and often loud.But that is not what the corporate-funded mobs are engaging in when they show up to disrupt town halls held by members of Congress….Mob rule is not democracy. People have a democratic right to express themselves and our elected leaders have a right to hear from their constituents—not organized thugs whose sole purpose is to shut down the conversation and attempt to scare our leaders into inaction.”

The Huffington Post reported that organizations with connections to ultraconservative Republicans, insurance companies and other opponents of the health insurance reform effort, including FreedomWorks, headed by former House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-Tex.), have organized many of the protests.

What is being lost in this “if it bleeds, it leads” media coverage, is that that the majority of Americans say that the U.S. health care system is badly broken and costs too much, the health insurance industry has far too much influence on how health care is delivered, and too many people have no coverage at all.

AFL-CIO President John Sweeney re-affirmed the organization’s support for a public option in the proposed health care reform legislation in a statement August 17. “A quality public health insurance option is a crucial part of health care reform to keep private insurance companies honest, hold down costs and ensure that everybody has a health care choice available,” Sweeney said. “Key to holding down costs for families, for businesses, and for the federal budget is forcing insurance companies to compete. And the only way to force real competition on the insurance companies is a strong public plan option.

“Unfortunately, the usual suspects opposed to reform are trying to hijack the reform process and attacking the public health insurance plan option because they are afraid of competition and they want to keep gouging working families. But unless we take decisive steps to stop the crippling rise of health costs, we will have squandered this moment of opportunity.

“We will continue to relay that message forcefully to the Senate and the White House.”

Obama’s Health Care Reform Plan: What Will It Really Do?

A lot of angry, over-the-top rhetoric is muddying discussions of health care reform. To help clear things up, here’s a brief summary of President Obama’s plan, including how it will stop insurance company abuses and help you—even if you currently have a strong health benefits plan.

Health care reform will stop insurance company abuses.
• Insurance companies won’t be able to refuse to pay a claim or give you coverage because of “pre-existing” conditions.
• Your out-of-pocket expenses will be capped. No more going broke because of a serious illness or injury.
• Insurance companies won’t be allowed to charge women higher rates than men or drop you if you get sick.
• Insurance companies will have to cover your children until age 26 instead of dumping them at 19.
Health care reform will hold down rising costs.
• A public health insurance option will force private insurers to compete and will lower costs for everyone.
• By requiring companies to pay their fair share, we’ll stop them from dumping their health care costs on the rest of us.

Health reform means affordable care will be there for you, no matter what. If you lose your job, or your kid loses his. If you get sick. When you retire. Affordable health care will be there for you, no matter what. That means you and your family can’t fall through the cracks and won’t go broke because of health care bills.

For more information about how health care reform can help you and for answers to many of the common questions about President Obama’s plan, check www.whitehouse.gov/realitycheck/.

Medicare Turns 44, Seniors Push for Health Care Reform

Advocates for a single payer health care system rallied at the federal buiding in San Francisco July 31 to mark the 44th anniversary of Medicare. Seniors and union members delivered a birthday cake to the office of Rep. Nancy Pelosi. Califonia Nurses Association member Martha Kuhl speaks to the media.

Seniors and health care activists across the country celebrated the 44th birthday of Medicare July 30 by lobbying for improvements to the program and expanding quality, affordable health care for all.

In more than 30 events in 17 states across the country, members of the Alliance for Retired Americans honored Medicare’s success and outlining a positive agenda for comprehensive health care reform legislation that will help current and future retirees.

Thousands of Alliance members held birthday parties, sending letters to the editor to their local newspapers and visiting the local offices of lawmakers to call for real health care reform, not cosmetic changes.

Calling Medicare “a great American success story,” which has helped reduce senior poverty by two-thirds, Alliance Executive Director Ed Coyle said, “It is unfortunate that some are seeking to derail health care reform through misleading and divisive attempts to scare seniors. The truth is that several leading proposals on Capitol Hill would actually make it easier for retirees to see a doctor, get a prescription filled, or afford long-term care. It is time for Washington to move beyond these worn-out tactics of divide-and-conquer and instead help millions of Americans in need.”

In June, Alliance members made more than 200 visits to their representatives on Capitol Hill. Specifically, the Alliance members are seeking legislation that:

• Helps early retirees buy into Medicare coverage.
• Closes the Medicare Part D “donut hole,” which forces about one in four seniors to spend several months each year paying full price for their prescriptions while still having to pay their premiums. Last year, according to the Alliance, an estimated 3.4 million of the 24 million Part D enrollees paid the $4,050 in out-of-pocket expenses before Medicare kicked back in and provided catastrophic care coverage, paying 95 percent of those prescription costs.
• Makes long-term care affordable through a public insurance plan.
• Continues tax policies that encourage employers to provide retiree health benefits.
• Creates a “public plan” option that provides affordable coverage and puts healthy pressure on private insurance companies to keep their premiums and business practices in check.
“Not only do retirees have a lot at stake in the health care debate, but we also worry about our children and grandchildren in these difficult times,” Coyle said. “If we work together, we can create a health care reform plan that helps Americans of all ages.”

Public Option Must Be Part of Health Care Reform

If Senate and House members vote against including a public health insurance plan option in health care reform, they very well could lose the backing of working families and their unions in the next elections, says AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka.

Trumka issued the warning in an interview with Sam Stein of the Huffington Post after recent news reports indicated a public option to allow working families to choose between a private plan or a public plan that offers quality care could be pulled from health care reform legislation. Trumka told Stein: “We’ll look at every one of their votes. If they’re against the Employee Free Choice Act, if they’re against health care for that reason, I think it’ll be tough for them to get support from working people.”
He also said union members are mobilizing to show lawmakers, especially those who may be wavering, that there is strong and board support for a public plan option that would provide competition to the private, for-profit insurance industry and help bring down soaring costs.

“We’re also going to keep politicians strong, so that they don’t listen to the moneymen and continue to erode away or negotiate away a program [so much that it] ultimately becomes useless. Right now, without a public option, [reform] becomes useless. It won’t change the current system,” Trumka said.
Last month, AFL-CIO President John Sweeney called a public health plan option “a crucial part ” of health care reform:

“A quality public health insurance option is a crucial part of health care reform to keep private insurance companies honest, hold down costs and ensure that everybody has a health care choice available,” Sweeney said. “Key to holding down costs for families, for businesses and for the federal budget is forcing insurance companies to compete. And the only way to force real competition on the insurance companies is a strong public plan option.”

Meanwhile, a group of 60 House members who are strong backers of comprehensive health care reform have told Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius that without a public option, they will not vote for a health care bill. In a letter to Sebelius, the group said:

“Americans deserve reform that is real—not smoke and mirrors. We cannot rely solely on the insurance companies’ good-faith efforts to provide for our constituents. A robust public option is essential, if we are to ensure that all Americans can receive health care that is accessible, guaranteed and of high quality.”

To take the public option off the table would be a grave error; passage in the House of Representatives depends upon inclusion of it.

- http://blog.aflcio.org