PLEASE JOIN US AT BCBS
We’ll rally at the headquarters of Blue Cross Blue Shield tomorrow morning, Friday, October 30, at 11:00 am, to protest their use of premium dollars to campaign against health care reform, and their recent mailer that included a pre-paid postcard to Senator Hagan opposing the Public Option. It’s way past time to break up their monopoly on health insurance here in North Carolina, and to create real competition that will make coverage more comprehensive and more affordable for North Carolinians. IF BLUE CROSS AND THE BIG INSURANCE LOBBY WINS, WE LOSE! Help make sure that doesn’t happen.
Here are directions to the action. We’ll look forward to seeing you there.
The BCBS headquarters is at 1700 Chapel Hill Durham Blvd, Chapel Hill, NC.
Click here for directions and parking suggestions or follow this link:
Here also are links to a story in the News and Observer yesterday on the scurrilous Blue Cross mailer, as well as an excellent op-ed piece by Adam Searing of the NC Justice Center on how Blue Cross has strayed so far from its original mission with its current campaign against health care reform.
News story:
http://www.newsobserver.com/business/local_state/story/161886.html
Adam’s op-ed piece:
http://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/columnists_blogs/other_views/story/160952.html
STATE OF PLAY IN WASHINGTON
Today’s big news is that the merged bill in the House of Representatives has been introduced. Details remain sketchy, but early reporting indicates that the bill will contain a more moderate version of the Public Option (negotiated reimbursement rates to providers rather than rates tied to Medicare, so higher premiums for Public Option subscribers and less price competition for the private insurance industry); raises Medicaid eligibility to 150% of the federal poverty level; and retains the surcharge on wealthy taxpayers rather than a tax on so-called “Cadillac” plans as a way to pay for the overall costs (we call them “Chevy” plans given the impact this tax, which is included in the Senate bill, will have on millions of middle-class families).
The current talk is that the floor debate on the bill will take place November 4-6, with a vote before the Veteran’s Day recess. HCAN is analyzing the bill to determine how it squares with our campaign’s principles, and we will get that analysis out to you shortly.
You’ll hear from us early next week about Rapid Response phoning and e-mailing to Congress to help improve the final bill. Vital issues around affordability, competition, and financing are all TBD, so stay tuned and stay active.
The Motion to Proceed in the Senate is still expected to come up for a vote next week. HCAN and many coalition partners are working hard in states where we need to confirm votes from wavering Democratic Senators–Louisiana, Nebraska, Arkansas, maybe Indiana. Then we’ll have to fight on the cloture vote after the floor debate. More on that in our next message. To have a look at the bill, click here or follow this link:
http://docs.house.gov/rules/health/111_ahcaa.pdf
And here’s a great animated cartoon from the Washington Post yesterday, which says it all about the outrageous role of BCBS and Big Insurance in this historic fight.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/opinions/anntelnaes/
AND A REMINDER:
That the NC Council of Churches and a number of congregations in Raleigh will sponsor a memorial service this evening for those who suffer or have died from lack of health insurance. Here are the details:
Thursday, October 29, 7:00-8:00 pm
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Raleigh
3313 Wade Avenue (2 blocks east of Meredith College)
Raleigh
Click here for the event flier or visit this link:
http://healthcareforamericanow.org/page/-/NC%20Documents/Interfaith%20Memorial%20Flyer-10.pdf
Thanks, and let’s stay strong and tough for these next few weeks!
Cordially yours,
Lynice Williams
for the NC HCAN Steering Committee
p.s.- Please forward this to your friends and co workers who know that the public option is a necessary component of REAL health care reform. Together, we can make this happen!