It may seem like I have nothing to do but harp on healthcare reform. However, I am committing to helping African-Americans understand two things: (1) We must be our own advocates for change and no longer rely on systems, etc. to look out for us because we know it does not work that way and (2) We must stop making excuses with the false comfort that the next guy will do it.
Healthcare Reform is a mighty big fight for President Obama because many, many people and businesses do not want to part with profits. In addition, 50 percent of Americans do NOT receive quality healthcare services even if they visit a doctor regularly. We are included in that 50 percent! This is because of the faulty healthcare system that continually denies claims and keeps those dollars. We have to make a strong stance against this abusive and neglectful practice in the US.
Too many lobbyists and their cohorts rely on the fact that African-Americans do NOT get involved in the political decision-making process. It is time to change that with strong advocacy for what we want for ourselves, in addition to all Americans. That is affordable and quality healthcare among other things.
Therefore, we must keep the fire lit under Congress and the House of Representatives to pass President Obama's Budget. If you read my other blog (please do), you should have already contacted your House of Representative. I am asking you to take a moment to do the same thing for your Senators. If we can begin a practice of contacting each once or twice a week, we will flood them with incentives to support President Obama.
Remember, our political leaders are afraid, too. Not only are their careers on the line for supporting a policy that breaks from tradition, they have to be able to stand up to the healthcare industry knowing they truly represent the people! We are the people! Each of US who cannot receive quality healthcare and know nothing about longevity because our lifespan is cut short because of lack of quality healthcare must commit to changing.
If we want to see a better future for our children and grandchildren, we must commit to healthcare reform. Visit
www.senate.gov and locate your Senator's page and you can send a message by e-mail right from the page. It can't get any easier than that, huh? Smile.
Below is another sample letter to help get you motivated to contact your Senator and urge him or her to support President Obama's Budget (Healthcare Reform). Be as brief as you want if you are not comfortable and let US know how you felt when you made contact. Did you feel empowered at all? I also want to thank everyone who responds to my blogs. You are encouraging me and learning US!:)
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Dear Senator Mikulski:
I am contacting you from Health Care for America Now to ask you to take immediate action to get Congress to support President Obama’s program to get the economy moving again.
President Obama has said again and again that to fix our economy, we must fix health care and we must do it in 2009. Therefore, I urge you to please support President Obama's budget now.
The Administration’s budget puts money behind those words.
President Obama identified $634 billion in funding over ten years as a down payment on fixing health care. This is just a start. Congress must match the President’s commitment and work with the President to provide sufficient funding for doing health care reform right.
We need to make the investments in health care now in order to achieve longer-term savings in health care.
As an individual with a brain disorder, I struggle for affordable healthcare. This means that I cannot afford maintenance medications and beccause of my therapeutic needs, I must constantly juggle which health issue to seek treatment for. That means that I am often forced to ignore important health issues. For exampe, I must receive regular treatment for my brain disorder and take maintenance medications. However, that means that I have to pick and choose which months to take my blood pressure medications!
I am now writing to ask you to help everyone by supporting this budget that will provide affordable healthcare for every American regardless of income with a public healthcare program.
I ask that you and other members of Congress to stand strong with me and individuals with a brain disorder (i.e., Bipolar, Schizophrenic, ADHD, Anxiety Disorders, etc.) and support the President’s commitment to health care reform in 2009. I am counting on you and members of Congress to please make health care reform happen this year.
I attended the Obama Healthcare Advocacy Summit in January 2009 and listened to many experts, including Professor Judy Feger from the Georgetown University School of Public Policy, explain the advantages of having a public healthcare program in the US. I am convinced this is an ideal alternative to the rising cost of healthcare and the diminishing of quality healthcare today.
In addition, I understood the Lake Research preentation emphasize how it is possible for a public healthcare program to provide quality services in the US by meeting the needs of Americans and not lobbyists and those profiting in the healthcare industry!
We need quality, affordable health care in 2009 that includes the choice of keeping the private health insurance people have or the alternative new public health insurance plan with benefits that meet our needs under President Obama's Healthcare Reform Plan (Budget). The public health program will also provide much needed relief for Medicare and Medicaid.
We need equality in health care access, treatment, research, and resources for people and communities of color faced with healthcare disparity which gives US universal access.
Thank you in advance for your time and support of President Obama's Budget. You can always count on me to support you in your political endeavors as well.
Respectfully,
Agnes B. Levine
Posted By: agnes levine
Thursday, March 26th 2009 at 9:37AM
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