ACTION ALERT: President Obama is asking us to pass-on this message

[Apollo11]

Dear Friend,

As you read this, we are closer than ever to passing comprehensive health insurance reform that benefits American families and small businesses. Despite all the back and forth in the news right now, it is important to understand just how far we've come in this challenging process.

That's why I'm holding a press conference tonight at 8pm ET, and writing to let everyone know where we are, what's ahead, and why health insurance reform is so important.

Let me be clear: although Congress is still debating parts of the legislation we have achieved critical consensus on several key areas:

If you already have health insurance: reform will provide you with more security and stability. It will limit your own out of pocket costs and prevent your insurance company from dropping your coverage if you get too sick. You'll also have affordable insurance options if you lose or change your job. And it will cover preventive care like check-ups and mammograms that save lives and money.

If you don't have health insurance: you will finally have guaranteed access to quality, affordable health care, and you can choose the plan that best suits your family's needs. And no insurance company will be allowed to deny you coverage because of a pre-existing medical condition.

Now, I realize that the last few miles of any race are the hardest to run, but we can't stop now. There's no dispute about it: we cannot control our long-term fiscal health as a nation without health insurance reform. American families and small businesses understand that the health insurance status quo is taking away those things that they value most about health care. The stability and security that comes with knowing that you can get the treatment you need, when you need it. Without reform, we are consigning our children to a future of skyrocketing premiums and crushing deficits.

We have to seize this opportunity and pass health insurance reform this year. You can help by forwarding this email to your family and friends and letting them know what's at stake in this debate.

Thank you,
Barack Obama

P.S. Tune in to tonight's press conference on health insurance reform at 8pm ET on WhiteHouse.gov.

[DesertRat]

1. k&r

[Tansy_Gold]

2. He's still talking health "insurance", not health "care"

In other words, we can still continue to funnel our money into the gaping maw of the insruance industry. They won't be able to cut us off or deny us coverage, but they can raise our premiums, our deductibles because ultimately they have to protect their bottom line.

Fuck that! Damn it, Barack, quit protecting the feudal lords in their castles. This is the 21st century, not the 13th.





Tansy Gold, self-employed, uninsured

[ElboRuum]

3. Every journey begins with a first step.

Be skeptical, but realize that this is likely only the beginning.

[dflprincess]

6. Not only "can" we funnel our money to the insurance companies

the House bill says we will HAVE to or be slapped with a fine. I believe this is Congress' way of helping their corporate masters make up the money they've been spending lobbying against reform.

[uponit7771]

8. Unnn, no they wont..."reform" would be meaningless if we still can't afford it!!

[HopeOverFear]

4. thanks

[dflprincess]

5. At least he's admitting that he's talking about and working on"health insurance"

not actually trying to guarantee access to health care. Unfortunately, I don't see how we can "control our long-term fiscal health" with a public option that costs just as much as the private plans. GM isn't going to save any money with this idea.

And, given how high the out of pocket costs will be if the House plan is passed, we're not going to have "he stability and security that comes with knowing that you can get the treatment you need, when you need it" because we still might not be able to afford to to the doctor when we need to.

I hope he'll come out and tell us how he thinks the bill should be written and smack Congress around for the crap plan they've come up with. But if all he does tonight is talk like this missive is written, he's pulling a bait & and switch on us.

[kath]

7. Define "affordable" - most of these asshats think it's "affordable" for a family making $40-$50K to

pay $500 per month for some mediocre policy where they still have to pay deductibles and co-pays, plus 20% or more of the cost of big-ticket items & hospital stays - this is BULLSHIT.

[sui generis]

9. not to be overly critical but

what I'm not hearing is, if you HAVE a pre-existing medical condition and the insurance company charges you 10,000 a month you'll get fined if you don't pay it?

:shrug:

those are the pesky little details. Oh, and if you don't have insurance, you don't get treated, etc. etc.

What I WANT TO hear from Obama is that premiums will be flat rate across the board, utterly reasonable, and not be risk-group based. Also want to hear that COBRA won't require 18 months of continuous coverage, or that there are waiting lists, donut holes or any of the other privatized bullshit that old folks and hard cases have to endure. That would be real reform.

Not hearing those critical elements.

We'll still be seeing folks offering blowjobs for a Boniva.