‘Health Care Freedom Protests’ Set for July 17
1. On Wednesday, July 15, call every single member of the Labor and Education Committee (click here for list and phone numbers). Ask the questions below of the staff. Record your answers in this form (click for the form). We want to keep up with the number of calls, emails, and faxes that are made or sent to Congress.
2. On Thursday, July 16, call every single member of both the Ways and Means and the Energy and Commerce committees in the House (click here for list and phone numbers). Ask the questions below of the staff. Record your answers in this form (click for the form). Again, we want to keep up with the number of calls, emails, and faxes that are made or sent to Congress.
3. Attend the Tea Party Patriots Health Care Freedom Protest in your area. Take an hour off of work. Are your health care and the physical well being of your family members important enough to you to spend an hour making sure your voice is heard?
While you are there, we need you to do 3 things: sign the Free Our Health Care Now Petition, Sign the Letter to your Representative or Senator and hand deliver it to their office, and hold your signs opposing government takeover of your health care.
4. On Monday, July 20, call every single Blue Dog Democrat — Democrats who say they are fiscally conservative (click here for list and phone numbers). Again, record your answers in this form (click for the form).
5. Be prepared to make more phone calls next week.
Have a little more time? Want to do a little more? Forward this email to everyone in your list. Ask them to take these actions as well. Make phone calls to your friends and family to make sure they understand what is at stake.
Really want to go a little further? Have the time to make a large commitment to keeping control of your health care? Print the Free Our Health Care Now Petition. Now, take that petition and walk up and down your street asking your neighbors to sign it. Ask them if they will print the letter and email it to their elected officials. If they are passionate, then forward this email to them and ask them to call each and every Blue Dog Democrat.
Sincerely,
Your Tea Party Patriots National Coordinator Team
Jenny Beth Martin, jennybeth@teapartypatriots.org
Mobile: 404-326-0936
Amy Kremer, amy@teapartypatriots.org
Mobile: 678-495-8271
Mark Meckler, mark@teapartypatriots.org
Rob Neppell, rob@teapartypatriots.org
Special Conference Call Immediately Before Health Care Freedom Tea Parties
Before you begin the protests on Friday, join Tea Party Patriots and Conservatives for Patients’ Rights on a special conference call.
Tea Party Patriots Health Care Freedom Kick Off Conference Call
11:45 am edt/8:45 am pdt
877-842-9288 passcode: 537655
Guests Include
Sen. Jim DeMint
Rep. Mike Pence
Rick Scott, Conservatives for Patients’ Rights
Amy Kremer, Tea Party Patriots National Coordinator
Tea Party Patriots Health Care Freedom Tea Parties
Join your fellow Tea Party Patriots on July 17th at the local home office of each Congressman and Senator to make it absolutely clear we oppose government run health care. These will occur simultaneously across the country from Noon to 1:00 pm Eastern / 9:00 to 10:00 am Pacific. From Florida to Washington, from Maine to California, from Alaska to Hawaii and everywhere in between you and thousands of other Tea Party Patriots will assemble together outside the offices of those who are elected to represent us, and make our voices heard once again.
We need you and anyone else you can bring in order to achieve our goal of having massive numbers to make our point outside every single district office in the country. Take one hour off of work on July 17th to show up and speak out.
Click to find a Tea Party Patriots Health Care Freedom Tea Party near you. If you have volunteered to help with the protests and no one has contacted you yet, please email jennybeth@teapartypatriots.org.
Click for more details about the effects of government run health care including Talking Points, Questions to Ask Your Elected Officials, Protest Sign Ideas, and more.
Letter to Your Elected Officials on Capitol Hill
Dear Representative and Senators,
As your constituent, a fellow American, and citizen of your state, I am writing to ask you to vote against any bill that will give the government increased control over healthcare and will lead to nationalized health care in the United States.
The documented accounts of rationing of medical services, long wait line for diagnosis and then longer wait lines for treatment, and inferior medical care cannot be ignored. In America, while our health care system may not perfect, we are able to choose our doctors, the doctors determine the best course of treatment for their patients, and there is no rationing of medical services. Additionally, in America, uninsured patients cannot be denied treatment in public hospital emergency rooms, so those uninsured patients are able to get the treatment they need in a timely manner.
If you insist on voting for government politicians to take over my health care, I implore you to do 4 things:
1. Promise and commit to change your health insurance and your immediate family members’ health insurance to the new government run program.
2. Promise and sign the pledge to read the bill and allow public input on the final bill for a minimum of 72 hours before voting.
3. Guarantee you will vote against any bill that will lead to rationing of medical services, that will limit in any way the ability for a patient to choose his or her doctor, and that will cause longer wait times before diagnosis and before treatment.
4. Guarantee you will vote against any bill that will increase the cost of medical care through increased taxes, reduced competition of medical providers, reduced competition of private sector health insurance.
Will you make these four commitments to your voters and American taxpayers? If you will not make these four commitments, why won’t you? What stands in your way of making these promises to insure that the superior medical care in America is not compromised in anyway? Why would you vote for a bill and then be unwilling to live by its consequences as an example to your constituents?
Please answer these questions in a return mailing to me. I eagerly await your reply as the future of my physical well being now seems to be in your hands. Thank you!
Sincerely,
Your Constituent
we have to fight against the government, yoga at home
As I have suggested here and in other forums: The MSM will not report on this. We need to take the Tea Parties to them, on their turf.
Rallying around the legislative buildings is still vital in order for our “representatives” to know how we feel, but what about the millions of Americans who are clueless? The MSM is either not reporting or are under-reporting the Tea party activities. When they do bother to give it a minor blip on the radar, it is skewed and filtered through their leftist bias.
We need to be heard by more than just our politicians. To be effective we need to grow, and we can’t grow without exposure.
Looks like the AMA just deserted the cause:
From NBC’s Mark Murray
In what appears to be a pretty significant development in the fight over health care, the American Medical Association has written House Ways and Means Committee Chairman
Charlie Rangel
a letter supporting the $1 trillion-plus Democratic House health-care bill.
“On behalf of the Board of Trustees of the American Medical Association, I am writing to express our appreciation and support for H.R. 3200, the ‘America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009,’” says Dr. Michael Maves, the AMA’s executive vice president and CEO.
“This legislation includes a broad range of provisions that are key to effective, comprehensive health system reform. We urge members of the House Education and Labor, Energy and Commerce, and Ways and Means Committees to favorably report H.R. 3200 for consideration by the full House.”
Maves concludes, “The AMA looks forward to further constructive dialogue during the committee mark-up process. We pledge to work with the House committees and leadership to build support for passage of health reform legislation to expand access to high quality, affordable health care for all Americans.”
Below is the full letter….
July 16, 2009
The Honorable Charles B. Rangel
Chairman, Committee on Ways and Means
U.S. House of Representatives
1102 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Chairman Rangel:
On behalf of the Board of Trustees of the American Medical Association, I am writing to express our appreciation and support for H.R. 3200, the “America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009.” This legislation includes a broad range of provisions that are key to effective, comprehensive health system reform. We urge members of the House Education and Labor, Energy and Commerce, and Ways and Means Committees to favorably report H.R. 3200 for consideration by the full House.
In particular, we are pleased that the bill:
• Promises to extend coverage to all Americans through health insurance market reforms;
• Provides consumers with a choice of plans through a health insurance exchange;
• Includes essential health insurance reforms such as eliminating coverage denials based on pre-existing conditions;
• Recognizes that fundamental Medicare reforms, including repeal of the sustainable growth rate formula, are essential to the success of broader health system reforms;
• Encourages chronic disease management and care coordination through additional funding for primary care services, without imposing offsetting payment reductions on specialty care;
• Addresses growing physician workforce concerns;
• Strengthens the Medicaid program;
• Requires individuals to have health insurance, and provides premium assistance to those who cannot afford it;
• Includes prevention and wellness initiatives designed to keep Americans healthy;
• Makes needed improvements to the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative that will enable greater participation by physicians; and
• Initiates significant payment and delivery reforms by encouraging participation in new models such as accountable care organizations and the patient-centered medical home.
The AMA looks forward to further constructive dialogue during the committee mark-up process. We pledge to work with the House committees and leadership to build support for passage of health reform legislation to expand access to high quality, affordable health care for all Americans.
This year, the AMA wants the debate in Washington to conclude with real, long overdue results that will improve the health of America’s patients.
Sincerely,
Michael D. Maves, MD, MBA
Imagine not being able to get insurance because you suffer from acne or headaches.. oh wait, that is the reality of the private, for profit insurance scam, err biz that runs the medical system. Cherry pick the best and leave the rest to fend for themselves or let the taxpayer pick up the tab….
Keep in mind that a letter of support or endorsement from the AMA is virtually meaningless, given that a mere 15% of all practicing physicians in America actually belong to the AMA.
Keep in mind also that the proposed “health care reform” is not about care and it’s not about health: it’s about reform. It’s about social engineering and restructuring the United States from a democratic republic of free markets to a nationalized governance of statism.
Have fun figuring out this chart:
http://docs.house.gov/gopleader/House-Democrats-Health-Plan.pdf
I say boycott GE.
When is someone going to grow some cojones in Washington?
How about the MSM? If a REAL Journalist stood up against this madness and did some real investigative work, how many would stand up behind them and watch their back?
It is time to save America from these treasonous pieces of low lives!
Perhaps instead of sending teabags to EVERYONE in Washington, how about a link to the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Send them everyday.
Starting with TOTUS and right on down the line!
Hey, idiots, the reason that the AMA is endorsing this bill is because it actually helps insurance companies. If you look past your blinded, stone-age ideologies you will see that this bill actually works in your favor, unfortunately, because it has been castrated by a$$holes like you. Hope you’re proud of yourself, and I hope Obama’s proud of himself for letting this BS slide.
How can it be so wrong to have a public insurance option competing with private insurance companies that have an ever growing appetite for profits and executive bonuses?
Government inefficiency is bad for health care, but private greed is good?
Government-run insurance will put a bureaucrat between you and your doctor that limits your choices, but private insurance companies are just there to provide their generous support?
Have your insurance companies ever rejected your legitimate claims or a pre-existing condition? Listen to the quarterly earnings conference calls from these companies. These are considered sound business practices of “strong claims management” and “stringent underwriting standards”. The private insurance companies can do so and still survive in the market because they know there are no other options for consumers.
Me and about 70 other people protested outside of Senator Webbs Arlington Virginia Office from noon until 1:30. A member of the senators staff named Matt came outside and spoke with us. Many people honked their horns in support. I have pictures if PJ would like to post them.
People, write your reps, senator, whatever but fight this health plan. It is a pig in a silk purse getting to burst our economy at the seams. America cannot afford this health plan as it is written due to the taxes built into it to pay for the health insurance of those not having access or unable to afford private policy. This health plan is socialism plain and simple and will destroy our country.
This is what I don’t get about liberals- they think that just because something is bad that it can’t get any worse. It will get worse if the government runs it. The system doesn’t work for some people, so you want to change it so that it works for nobody? You’re insane!
If we think that government-run health insurance is going to bankrupt the country, what assurance do we have that private insurance companies are not going to bankrupt our families and small businesses? Did private insurance companies write us a guarantee that they will behave themselves in the absence of a competing public option?
Nobody wants to pay higher taxes to the government, but are we so much happier to pay higher health insurance premiums to private insurance companies? Isn’t it the same cash out of our pockets only paid to a private entity?
We can’t trust the government that is re-elected every four years and is supervised by the congresses, but can we trust the private insurance companies that answer to nobody but the greed of the Wall Street? I can’t even trust the simple “no fee checking account” statement advertised by my bank. Once the banks get you, it is just a one year promotion.
It is socialism to use our taxes to pay for health care for those people who can’t afford it, but we can’t wait to contribute more to the lavish life style and private jets of insurance company executives?
Joe, I am not sure who you are railing against, but go get ‘em.
“How can it be so wrong to have a public insurance option competing with private insurance companies that have an ever growing appetite for profits and executive bonuses?”
Two things come to mind. One is Medicare, which proves just how much worse a government-run insurance can make things. The other is the fact that even if you have private insurance, you are going to have to pay for this public insurance, since nothing is free…
It kind of reminds me of the motto of the Great Alaskan Bush Company: We cheat the other guys and pass the savings on to you!
That, or the old joke: “President Obama, how can you afford to sell these insurance policies at a loss?” “Easy. We make it up on volume.”
Insurance is a business of managing risks through diversification. Health or mortality risks are stable and predictable from the perspective of a total population, but highly unpredictable for each individual. By pooling the population together, the risks, and consequently, the costs should be fairly predictable, and individual premiums can be determined accordingly.
A public option can be financed by taxes, or it can charge a more affordable premium (without the profit markup) to its participants, or it can be a combination of both. Creativity is key to make it work. To avoid “to sell all these insurance policies at a loss”, the public option can increase its participation from the young and the healthy by providing financial incentives (if you start your participation when you are young, you will get a discount when you are old).
The current Obama plan may not be perfect, or to everyone’s liking. But it is not necessarily evil just because it is “public”. And “socialism” is not evil either. Socialism in South American may be destructive, but most of the countries with the highest standard of living in the world have somewhat socialistic policies, particularly when it comes to their health care policies.