In this
- End Insurance Industry Discrimination
- Affordable Health Care for Small Business
- State unanimously passes Rx assistance for low-income
1. End Insurance Industry Discrimination!
The current health insurance market permits insurance companies to maximize their profits at the expense of those who are older, more likely to be sick and most in need of health care. By limiting their risk, private insurers cherry-pick the wealthy and healthy for good coverage and leave the rest with greater cost, with less access to coverage, or entirely without insurance.
HB 1569 will help end this discrimination and control health care costs by creating a common purchasing pool for individuals and small businesses. HB 1569 will provide access regardless of health status or pre-existing condition and provide sliding scale assistance to low-income Washingtonians.
Please contact
your legislators to support HB 1569.
It's time to stop insurance industry discrimination! Email your
legislators at http://action.washingtoncan.org
The most effective way to make a difference is to meet with your legislators. Join us in Olympia for a Washington CAN! “Call-In Sick” Day!
- Wednesday, Feb 21
- Tuesday, Feb 27
Register today
& bring a friend! Download a
flyer to spread the word in your community about “Call-In Sick” Days.
Register at http://action.washingtoncan.org
2. Affordable Health Care for Small Business
More than 70% of the uninsured are members of working families. The majority of these work in small businesses, the backbone of our state's economy.
SB 5658 will reduce the cost of secure, quality coverage for small business by creating a publicly funded “reinsurance” pool to pay for catastrophic health care costs. SB 5658 will stabilize the health insurance market for small businesses and make health care more affordable without forcing small business employees into substandard, bare-bones health plans.
Will you contact
your legislators now to support SB 5658?
It's time to make health care work for small businesses and working
people! Email your legislators at http://action.washingtoncan.org
After you email, register to visit your legislators at a Washington CAN! “Call-In Sick” Day!
- Wednesday, Feb 21
- Tuesday, Feb 27
Register today at http://action.washingtoncan.org
3. State unanimously passes Rx assistance for low-income!
Last year when President Bush’s “Part D Disaster” was implemented, some of the first victims were the lowest income seniors and people with disabilities whose income qualifies them to receive both Medicare and Medicaid. While these individuals previously had received good Rx coverage through Medicaid, under Part D they were now subject to new Rx co-pays that threatened the unconscionable decision of choosing between food and medicine.
At that time, Washington CAN! organized a coalition of groups that successfully lobbied the state to provide temporary Rx co-payment assistance for “dual-eligibles.” On Friday, the state Senate unanimously passed legislation requested by Governor Gregoire to make this assistance permanent. (The state House unanimously passed the bill days before.)
While we celebrate this victory, we know the fight isn’t over to fix the Part D Disaster. On January 12th, the US House passed landmark legislation (no thanks to Rep. Dave Reichert) to use the bulk buying power of Medicare to negotiate the lowest possible Rx prices for seniors and people with disabilities. Stay tuned as we work to pass this legislation in the US Senate.
Visit http://www.cancampaign.org/page/content/medicare/ for more information on our campaign to Change America NOW!
For more information on the 2007 legislative priorities in our Secure Health Care Campaign, visit http://www.washingtoncan.org/leg07/legagenda.shtml
In solidarity,
The Washington CAN! Team
With
over 30,000 members across the state, Washington CAN! is the
state’s largest grassroots community organization. Washington CAN! fights
for progressive social change at the local, state, and national levels, with a
focus on issues that most directly affect the lives of Washington residents.
Our mission is to achieve economic fairness in order to establish a democratic
society characterized by racial and social justice, with respect for diversity,
and a decent quality of life for those who reside in Washington State. www.WashingtonCAN.org
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