Thursday, August 2, 2007

In this Washington CAN! e-newsletter, you will find:

1. Pirates of the Health Care-ibbean (This Saturday!)
2. Help Washington CAN! find a new home (Any Ideas?)
3. Reichert rhetoric doesn't match reality on seniors, kids

1) Pirates of the Health Care-ibbean - This Saturday!

This is your last (maybe) reminder about the "Pirate's of the Health Care-ibbean" March on Regence.  This Saturday.  Don't miss it.

Watch the Video Trailers:

• 'Captain BlueShield Strikes Again...'
• 'One Movement is Rising Up to End Insurance Piracy...'
• Kids without Health Care
  

Pirates of the Health
Care-ibbean

a March & Rally
for Health Care Justice

Sat. Aug 4
9 AM

Regence BlueShield is the wealthiest private insurance company in Washington. They have amassed over $890 million in excess surplus, an increase of 78 percent since 2003. But apparently it’s not enough to satisfy a greedy appetite for our premium dollars. In July, Regence is shocking policy holders with a massive rate increase of 19 percent – up to 40 percent for the elderly.

Insurance pirates are hoarding a treasure chest of profit, while making the poor, sick & vulnerable walk the plank. It’s time to end insurance piracy. Health care for all now!

        March begins at:
Seattle University
(enter at 10^th & Madison)

        March to:
Regence HeadQuarters
(9^th & Howell)

Download a flyer here.

For more information & to RSVP, contact 206-389-0050 x109 or diana@washingtoncan.org

Endorsers by over 25 groups: Washington CAN!, NW Federation of Community Organizations, AFGE Local 3937, WA Health Security Coalition, America in Solidarity, Para los Niños, Jobs with Justice, NW Health Law Advocates, SEIU WA State Council, SEIU 1199 NW, SEIU 775 NW, Lutheran Public Policy Office of WA, Community to Community Development, American Healthcare Revolution, WA State Trial Lawyers Association, Health Care for All-Washington, Physicians for a National Health Program - Western Washington Chapter, Statewide Poverty Action Network, WA Federation of State Employees, WA State Labor Council, Puget Sound Alliance for Retired Americans, Older Women's League, Rainier Valley Unitarian Universalist Congregation Social Justice Committee, Seattle NOW, Real Change, UNITE HERE Local 8, LELO, United for National Health Care, Welfare Rights Organizing Coalition. 

2) Help Washington CAN! find a new home

Washington CAN! is looking for a new office space in the Seattle area.  The space must be fully accessible including entrances, exits and rest room.  Can you help?

Our ideal space would be 3200-3500 sq feet and would include:

- At least 10 private offices that are at least 100 square feet each.

- Two larger private office areas appropriate for our phone room operation (at least 400 square feet) and for our organizers (at least 240 square feet).

- A conference/briefing area that can be closed off for crew briefings and larger meetings (500 - plus square feet).

- Cat 5 wiring for our computers.

- Phone wiring suitable for a multi-line phone system and enough extra trunks available to accommodate up to 14 independent lines for our fax and our phone room.

- Parking available nearby.

- Easy and nearby bus service available from 7AM - 11PM at Monday – Saturday

If you have a suggestion of places to rent (or, heck, if you love the work we're doing and want to donate a space!), please let us know.  Email us at nathasjaskorupa1@hotmail.com

3) Reichert Rhetoric doesn't match reality on seniors, kids

Standing with President Bush over Washington Families, Reichert attempts to spin a vote to protect insurance companies as a vote to "protect Seniors' Medicare benefits"

In an attempt to do damage control after voting against the Children's Health and Medicare Protection Act (CHAMP Act), Rep. Reichert issued a press statement masquerading his vote to privatize and undermine traditional Medicare as a vote to "protect Seniors' Medicare benefits."    

Last night, Rep. Reichert voted against the Children's Health and Medicare Protection Act (CHAMP Act), which passed by a 225-204 margin.  In addition to reauthorizing the popular State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), the CHAMP Act also protects Medicare for seniors by eliminating billions of dollars in unnecessary subsidies to private insurance companies under the so-called 'Medicare Advantage' Program – a Bush administration boondoggle that seeks to privatize Medicare and has already raised premiums for Medicare beneficiaries.

Constituency groups that advocate for the rights of Medicare beneficiaries, including the Medicare Rights Center, the Alliance for Retired Americans, the Retired Public Employees Council of Washington, Washington CAN!, and AARP, have all called for leveling payments between traditional Medicare and the Medicare Advantage program, ensuring that private plans are no longer paid billions more than the cost of covering the same beneficiaries under traditional Medicare.

It is only the insurance companies, that are paid 12 percent more nationwide (21.5 percent in Washington) to offer Medicare Advantage plans than it would cost to provide traditional Medicare, who are scrambling to save their massive subsidy. 

"Representative Reichert should be truthful about whose interests he is representing," said Joshua Welter, Organizing Director of the Washington Community Action Network, the state's largest grassroots consumer lobby.  "He is masquerading a vote to protect insurance company subsidies as a vote for seniors.  It is the height of deception to justify an anti-kid and anti-senior vote by conjuring up a mythical battle between funding for kids and seniors.  Seniors and consumers are united in opposing the privatization of Medicare and supporting health care for kids.  The real choice of priorities is this: subsidies for insurance companies or health care for kids and seniors.  Unfortunately, Rep. Reichert chose allegiance to insurance companies and President Bush over the needs of his constituents."

The Children's Health and Medicare Protection Act (CHAMP Act):

• Protects traditional Medicare by ending overpayments to private insurance companies selling Medicare Advantage plans. 
• Reauthorizes the State Children's Health Insurance Program for 6 million children and provides 5 million more low-income children with health coverage – a total of 11 million children
• Ensures seniors continue to have access to the doctors of their choice by stopping a 10% payment cut to doctors.
• Encourages seniors to seek preventive health benefits by eliminating co-payments and deductibles.
• Protects low-income seniors by expanding and improving programs to ensure Medicare remains affordable for those with lower incomes.
• Ensure seniors in rural areas continue to have access to Medicare and the doctors they trust.
• Shores up Medicare's finances by extending the solvency of the Medicare Trust Fund by two years. 

Voting yes on the CHAMP Act from Washington were Baird, Dicks, Inslee, Larsen, McDermott, and Smith.  Joining Reichert in voting against kids and seniors were Hastings and McMorris-Rodgers.

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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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