Sharon Kitchel-Perdue Attends Health Care Affordability Summit in Washington, DC

January 15, 2010 -- Fifty 50 SEIU members from across the country – including our very own Sharon Kitchel-Perdue (right) - attended a Health Care Affordability Summit in Washington, DC this week, as part of a nation-wide day of action sponsored by SEIU and other grassroots, faith, labor, consumer and civil rights organizations.

Activists and leaders gathered on Capitol Hill to demonstrate solidarity on this critical issue and build support for common sense efforts to meld the best affordability provisions from the House and Senate bills into the final version.

Click here to see other photos from the event.

Click here for more details.

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Take the Pledge - Make Health Care Reform a Reality

72 Hours is All We'll Get

This month, folks in Washington are deciding how much you'll be spending on health care. The White House is working with Congressional leaders to hammer out the final health care bill, and what's in your wallet is on the line.

This is our last opportunity to improve this legislation. It's a window that will likely open and close over the course of 72 hours, and during that time, we must all take action. Click here to and pledge to do your part

We'll be fighting for the following improvements to the bill:

• Make health care affordable
• Hold insurers accountable for their practices
• Don't finance reform on the backs of cash-strapped working families

We're monitoring progress on the health care bill, and will alert pledge-takers when we start the clock on 72 hours of SEIU member voices. You can expect it to happen sometime in the next 2-3 weeks. Pledge online today. This will be our last chance.

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Seniors to Seniors - Informing Health Reform

When it comes to health care reform, it may seem like there are more questions than answers: Will my doctor still take Medicare? How will prescription drug coverage change? Is long-term care part of the proposal? And like any political hot topic, unbiased information is hard to find. This video provides a clear and concise overview of health reform and what it means for you.

As you watch, you’ll discover how health reform will:

• Keep physicians in Medicare and stop payment cuts.
• Improve long-term care choices.
• Keep Medicare affordable and close the doughnut hole.

This video was produced by Seniors to Seniors - a coalition of senior citizen advocacy organizations (including SEIU) all committed to educating seniors about what the current health care reform legislation means for them once it is implemented. The coalition’s goal is to help filter through the clutter and the hype to educate seniors about how health care reform will help keep doctors in Medicare, stop physician payment cuts, improve long-term care choices, keep Medicare affordable, and close the prescription drug “doughnut hole.”

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It's Time to Deliver

We've waited long enough.

Right now, everyone is paying for the cost of our broken health care system.

People with "pre-existing conditions" are being denied coverage by insurers.
 
Women are being charged 30-51% more than men for the same health insurance policies. Newborn babies are being denied coverage because they're "too fat" or "too small."

And a jaw-dropping 44,000 people a year are dying because they lack health insurance. How much longer will Americans need to wait before Congress acts?

Today, we're sending our message loud and clear - that it's time to deliver on health care.

SEIU members are joining with voters across the country in calling Congress today, October 20th. Our union has a vibrant presence in Washington, and we've been hard at work lobbying for this legislation, but we're powerless without the participation of our membership.

Make three calls (two Senators, one Representative), and tell your members of Congress you expect reform that:

• Ends insurance company abuse;
• Makes health care affordable for everyone;
• Includes a strong public health insurance option;
• Requires employers to pay their fair share;
• Does not contain taxes or more costs to working families who are already paying more than their fair share into the system.

Call each of your members of Congress today. We can't let insurance companies dictate what happens in Congress, because when they win, we lose.

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Video: Members Lobbying for Quality, Affordable Health Care in Washington, DC

On June 25, our union sent a delegation to Washington, DC to lobby for health care reform.

Watch them talk about their stories and why they believe we all deserve quality, affordable health care.

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