In this post, you will find links to interesting articles and updates on where things stand with the healthcare reform currently being debated in Congress. President Obama is pushing for a vote before the August recess, so by the end of July 2009. We need to mobilize to help get healthcare reform passed. What can you do?
SEND A LETTER SUPPORTING HEALTHCARE REFORM
Set aside 1 hour this week to draft (30mins) and send (30mins) a letter to your senators and congressional representatives in order to increase the pressure on them to minimally support the inclusion of the Obama administration's three goals of reducing costs, guaranteeing choice, and ensuring quality care for all Americans into the healthcare reform legislation that will be adopted. Yes, America is going to get healthcare reform but it's up to each of us to make sure that it is meaningful reform. So please send your letters this week. Click here for 3 very useful on-line tools to quickly and efficiently send your correspondence to members of Congress, the President and even to American news editors. You will also find a sample letter to inspire your own letter. (http://www.democratsabroad.org/node/9122)
Add your story to the Americans Abroad Healthcare Blog
Read up on healthcare reform. Here are some great articles and videos.
Comparisons of healthcare systems around the world:
Health Lessons from Europe, TIME Magazine Jun. 01, 2009
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1899873,00.html
FRONTLINE documentary Sick Around the World. A look at the healthcare systems of UK, Germany, Japan, Taiwan and Switzerland.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/sickaroundtheworld/
Health reform legislation is being drafted in Congress, and headed for votes by the end of this month. The House bill will be the most progressive. In the Senate, the HELP Committee bill is expected to be progressive, and the Finance Committee bill more moderate. For a comparison chart of bills, see http://www.kff.org/healthreform/upload/healthreform_tri_full.pdf
President Obama speaking to American Medical Association. Great speech. About an hour long but very informative and geared to an audience of physicians.
http://www.ama-assn-media.org/obama/index1.html
Obama refers to this very interesting Newyorker article in his AMA speech, which exposes the very different costs of healthcare in 2 cities in Texas where all demographic and health factors are equal but one city's medical community has a tendency to order more expensive tests and procedures:
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/06/01/090601fa_fact_gawande
PBS Bill Moyers recent report on healthcare reform: http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/07102009/watch.html
Also look at Bill Moyers speaking with Wendell Potter, a former health insurance executive who left the industry to become an advocate for health care reform. Potter discussed the industry’s history of denying care to members and its extensive efforts to prevent the federal government from creating a “public option” for health insurance to compete with private plans.
Great interview with United Steel Workers head about single payer healthcare. http://therealnews.com/id/3961/July8,2009/USW+president+supports+single-payer+health+care
Some facts and FAQ.
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine-archive/august-2009/viewpoint/5-common-fears-about-health-reform/reform-5-common-fears.htm
More websites to refer to for healthcare reform issues:
http://www.healthcare-now.org/
http://healthreform.kff.org/
http://www.pnhp.org/
http://therealnews.com/t/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=33&Itemid=74&jumival=378
See more updated news clips and articles on the Americans Abroad Healthcare Blog http://healthcareforamerica.blogspot.com/
Do you have an interesting article or video to add to this list? Email us on info@democrats.ch
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