On March 9, activists from Connecticut and all over the country converged on Washington D.C. to call out the insurance company executives gathering at the AHIP conference as the criminals they are. This Citizens' Posse rallied in our nation's capital to remind Congress and the President to listen to us, not corporate executives who stand in the way of a better America. The video at right was filmed at the citizens' arrest of the insurance companies.
Many carried signs fashioned like wanted posters, each with the picture and name of an HMO CEO, and the reasons for the arrest, such as denial of care, increasing premium costs, and so on. According to recent media reports, the five biggest health insurers made a $12-billion profit in 2009, up from $8 billion the year before. AHIP is reportedly spending $5 million a week to defeat the Democrats’ health-reform effort.
[...]
Tom Swan, executive director of Connecticut Citizens Action Group, called the protest a success. “We know we disrupted their conference,” he said, standing just outside the Ritz. “We clearly redefined sides (of the health-care debate). We saw a willingness to take more drastic action.”
"We're declaring this a crime scene!" bellowed Richard Trumka, president of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, to the roar of the crowd. AFL-CIO is a federation of about 60 labor unions.
Organizers of the protest said they brought about 5,000 people from across the United States to downtown Washington. They began their march in Dupont Circle, where they heard speeches from politicians and activists.
The five biggest health insurers made over $12 billion in profits last year, which is $8 billion more than the year before. They have achieved these obscene profits by raising their rates in many states by double digits and dropping over 2.7 million customers from their health insurance plans. What's more is that AHIP has spent hundreds of millions of dollars into ads that deliberately distort the truth and outright lie to health care consumers in an effort to block reform. If they win, we lose.
CCAG and HCAN are organizing a free bus that will leave from Wethersfield (with stops in West Haven, Trumbull & Stamford) on the evening of Monday March 8 to take Connecticut activists down to the protest march and lobby day in Washington.
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(1.) On Wednesday February 24th, together with allies from labor unions, progressive blogs, Health Care for America Now, MoveOn and others, we're participating a massive day of action: the Virtual March for Real Health Care Reform. We will tell Congress--through every single phone line, fax machine, and e-mail address, all day long--that it is time to stop stalling and get health care reform done right. Right now!
Our goal is to send one million messages to Congress that day. To reach that goal, we need everyone we know to join the virtual march. Will you sign up to join the virtual march on Washington, D.C.?Click here to sign up, and you will get a reminder from MoveOn to make your call.
(2.) On Thursday February 25th, we will gather at Center Church on the Green in New Haven to share our stories about health insurer's delaying or denying treatment. We will end with a candlelight vigil in memory of Melanie Shouse, a tireless campaigner for health care reform who worked closely with MoveOn and HCAN.
Witness and Vigil Details
Date: Thursday February 25th, 2010 Time: 6:00PM Place: 311 Temple Street, New Haven, CT 06511 [map]
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Many studies have documented the fact that patients of color are less likely to receive the same quality of medical care as whites, and that those differences often translate to worse health outcomes. The pattern holds up even after taking into account demographic factors such as income, education and health insurance status.
To figure out why this is, a group of researchers from Yale University’s School of Public Health and the Urban Institute focused on 133,821 patients who were treated for one of 10 surgical procedures at hospitals in New York City or the adjacent counties of Westchester (to the north) and Nassau (to the east) between 2001 and 2004.
The researchers picked New York City because of its diversity of ethnic groups and abundance of hospitals. They picked the 10 procedures – for breast cancer, colorectal cancer, gastric cancer, lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, coronary artery bypass graft, angioplasty, abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, carotid endarterectomy and total hip replacement – because prior studies have shown that surgeons and hospitals who perform them more often produce better outcomes.
Carrying pitchforks and torches a group of labor unions and health care groups marched down Church Street in Hartford Tuesday night to let the state’s largest business lobby know that they want health care reform.
John Murphy of the Connecticut Citizens Action Group said the Connecticut Business and Industry Association symbolizes what the group is up against in its fight for quality, affordable health care.
CBIA makes most of its revenue from selling insurance to small businesses, Murphy said. He said it is blocking reform efforts because under a government run system health care system it would lose money.
In 2008, our country voted for change. We wanted health care reform because we know over 42,000 people die in America every year for lack of health care, and over 50% of our personal bankruptcies are due to medical bills. We wanted financial reforms that would stop greedy financial institutions from plunging us into the Second Great Depression. We wanted the wars of occupation to end and to rebuild our own country’s infrastructure. We wanted good jobs at good wages and action on climate change for our children and grandchildren. Collectively, we knocked on doors; made phone calls; cajoled our family, friends and neighbors and literally pulled strangers out of their homes to vote for change.
Members of Congress John Larson, Joe Courtney, Rosa DeLauro, Jim Himes and Chris Murphy teaming up with Senator Chris Dodd have worked hard to deliver the change we voted for. Unfortunately, health insurance companies, financial institutions, the US Chamber of Commerce and other big corporate interests are sabotaging our reform efforts and stopping the change we worked so hard for.
On Fat Tuesday (Tuesday, February 16) we will march against the opponents of change in downtown Hartford. We will gather at 5:00 PM at Christ Church Cathedral, 45 Church Street, Hartford (corner of Main and Church Streets across from the old G. Fox Building) for a short program and begin our march at 5:30 PM. Please join us to tell the health insurance companies and the corporate interests to stop opposing the change America needs!
P.S. If you don’t think we need health care reform in Connecticut, please watch the hundreds of underinsured and uninsured patients desperately seeking health services last week in Hartford click here to view it now.
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Now, more than ever, we need Congress to stand up to Republican obstructionism and corporate lobbyists and pass real health care reform, and pass it now. Voters voted for change in 2008 and they expect Congress to deliver.
It's time for Congress to get it done and get it done right, and there are two ways you can help:
Each House of Congress has passed a comprehensive health care reform bill, and a compromise between the two was in reach. One election in Massachusetts doesn't mean we can abandon reform now, just when we're so close to the finish line. We need to act fast to remind Congress that we support real reform, that they support real health care reform, and we expect them to finish the job.
Your calls today are important, but we must do more. Please join us at an emergency rally to save health care reform tomorrow.
Our Connecticut delegation (except for Sen. Lieberman) has done great work so far on health care reform. Connecticut Congressman John Larson has risen to Rahm Emanuel's leadership position within the Democratic caucus, so we will rally at Larson's Hartford office to send a message to Obama, Reid & Pelosi to stand up for us and stand up to the insurance industry!
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There is a lot of talk about the recent special election in Massachusetts being a referendum on health care reform. It was not. In fact, Massachusetts has already moved comprehensive reform and 98% of Massachusetts residents have health insurance as a result. It was a referendum on a particular candidate in a climate in which people, hard pressed and frustrated by the economy, are impatient for change.
And nothing has changed.
People still need quality, affordable health care. Our friends and loved ones are still being denied care for pre-existing conditions. We still need to address the health care crisis, and cannot continue to allow medical expenses to bankrupt our country's families and businesses.
It's time to finish reform right. There are two things you can do right now to help:
An election in Massachusetts didn’t change the fact that thousands still lose their health insurance every day. People are still going bankrupt. Insurance companies are still denying care. We still need health care reform, and we need it done right.
We voted for change in 2008, and politicians in Washington must deliver that change, or else.
Dear President Obama, Speaker Pelosi & Majority Leader Reid:
After the special election in Massachusetts, I'm sending you this letter again because I feel it is crucial you understand that you must finish health reform right and deliver real change to America.
To finish the job and deliver a health reform bill that meets the needs of America’s families, we urge that you and conference leaders resolve a number of critical outstanding issues. These issues may be summarized under two goals:
1. MAKE GOOD HEALTH CARE AFFORDABLE
Low and middle income families must be able to afford health insurance, and employers must be asked to provide good health coverage for their employees so health care is affordable at work. Health care should not be paid for with a tax on health benefits.
2. HOLD INSURANCE COMPANIES ACCOUNTABLE
If the insurance companies win, we lose. Insurance companies must be held accountable with strong regulations and consumer protections, and we must be given the choice of a national public health insurance option available on day one across the United States.
You have my full support in addressing these critical issues before legislation is sent to the White House for a final signature.
Please call your member of Congress right now: thank them for their hard work on health care reform so far and have them tell Speaker Pelosi to keep as much of the House bill intact as possible!
CD1 John Larson (202) 225-2265 [DC] - (860) 278-8888 [CT]
CD2 Joe Courtney (202) 225-2076 [DC] – (860) 886-0139 [CT]
CD3 Rosa DeLauro (202) 225-3661 [DC] - (203) 562-3718 [CT]
CD4 Jim Himes (202) 225-5541 [DC] – (866) 453-0028 [CT]
CD5 Chris Murphy (202) 225-4476 [DC] – (860) 223-8412 [CT]
Please call right now because the House Democratic caucus is meeting today and we want to send a strong and clear message that the Senate bill fails to deliver affordability for consumers and accountability for insurance companies. The following items should be addressed in crafting the final bill:
Make good health care affordable.
Taxing health care benefits is wrong.
Low and middle income families must be able to afford health insurance, and employers must provide good health insurance coverage for employees.
Hold insurance companies accountable. If the insurance companies win, we lose. They must be held accountable trhough strong regulations. We must have a choice of a strong national public health insurance option available on day one across the United States.
Our Connecticut delegation has been strong on reform all the way through. Help them continue to be champions for reform within their caucus. Call Congress now!
CD1 John Larson (202) 225-2265 [DC] - (860) 278-8888 [CT]
CD2 Joe Courtney (202) 225-2076 [DC] – (860) 886-0139 [CT]
CD3 Rosa DeLauro (202) 225-3661 [DC] - (203) 562-3718 [CT]
CD4 Jim Himes (202) 225-5541 [DC] – (866) 453-0028 [CT]
CD5 Chris Murphy (202) 225-4476 [DC] – (860) 223-8412 [CT]
HARTFORD — Connecticut Health Care For America Now released a study Thursday that spotlights how private health insurance companies “waste premiums.”
Health Care for America Now is comprised of more than 1,000 organizations representing more than 30 million people nationwide.
Connecticut HCAN supports the “Ensuring Value for Premiums” amendment to health care reform legislation pending in the U.S. Senate. The legislation, introduced Dec. 4 by U.S. Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., requires private insurance companies to spend 90 percent of their revenue from premiums on health care-related costs. The remaining 10 percent of the premium would be used to build in overhead, profits and other non-medical payout charges.
Private health insurance companies spend, on average, 81 percent of their premium revenues on health care-related costs. In Connecticut, one company, Wellpoint, spends 83.6 percent of premium dollars on care.
By comparison, Medicare spends almost 98 percent of its premium revenues on health care-related costs.
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