11 February 2009

Our nation's health care system is in a crisis: Act NOW!

A message from Public Citizen:

Our nation's health care system is in a crisis.


As a practicing internist, I can tell you what this means for patients: Many cannot get their prescriptions filled or afford co-payments for office visits, so they become ill enough to require hospitalization. Some even die.

I recall one patient, a veteran who developed nearly fatal kidney failure from an enlarged prostate because he was too poor to afford private coverage but made too much to be covered by the Veterans Administration or Medicaid.

It's sad and unconscionable that cases like this are so common. Almost 50 million Americans do not have health insurance, and tens of millions more cannot afford the care they need - even though they have insurance!

Public Citizen has decided it's time to do something about this crisis, and has joined the Leadership Conference for Guaranteed Healthcare, a national coalition for single-payer health care. A single-payer system would eliminate private insurance companies and provide every American with access to high-quality care under one national health care system.

We need your help.

Rep. John Conyers has introduced a single-payer bill in the House, HR 676. It's a hard sell, because many powerful interests, especially insurance companies, oppose it. Over the next few months, we'll be calling on you to take action. It's critical that lawmakers hear from the people most affected by this - you.

The first opportunity for your input is tomorrow, with a national call-in day to Congress. Stay tuned for more call-in information tomorrow, or catch a preview now on our action page!

Public Citizen looks forward to working with you in achieving this most crucial of goals: affordable health care for every American.

Stay tuned!

Thank you for all you do,
James Floyd, M.D.
Public Citizen

P.S. - Learn more about single-payer health care and the Leadership Conference. We'll keep this site updated with action items, press releases and ways for you to connect with other activists, so check back often.


Learn more about single-payer health care

Preview tomorrow's call-in information


LET THE
REVOLUTION BEGIN!


Thanks for all you do!
Live your values. Love your country.
And, remember: TOGETHER, We can make a DIFFERENCE!

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