Category: Health Care - PACG - Progressive Action for the Common Good

What You Can Do Now - Drug Price Control Action Alert

7/29/2019

Action Alert - Drug Price Control
Quad Cities Area

Health Care Reform

Action Alert - Drug Price Control

The Senate Finance committee chaired by Sen. Grassley, approved by a vote of 19-9, a bi-partisan bill to limit prescription drug prices to the inflation index, but drug company lobbyists are mounting forces to oppose the bill. Many Republican senators seem ready to oppose it or amend it to death during floor debate.

Now is the time for us to act. If you live in Iowa, call Sen. Grassley 515-288-1145 and thank him for his leadership on this bill, and urge him to keep fighting for its passage without crippling amendments. Then contact Sen. Joni Ernst 515-284-4574 and urge her to ignore industry lobbyists and support passage of this bi-partisan bill that will help protect all Americans from huge prescription drug price increases.

If you live in Illinois, you can also thank Sen. Grassley for his leadership on this issue and contact Sen. Durbin 202-224-2152 and Sen. Duckworth 202-224-2854 and thank them for their continuing support on this and other health care reform issues.

Frank Samuelson

Candidate Questions - Health Care Reform

4/22/2019

Candidate Questions - Health Care Reform

Let’s get organized before the next presidential candidates come to town! It’s hard to know what questions to ask, but here is a list that we have created. If you have additional questions you think should be asked, please contact our Office Manager, Amber Bordolo and we will add to this list.

If you attend a candidate’s event, print off this list (see the download link below) and have it handy in case you have an opportunity to ask questions. Listen carefully to the answers on the topics below. Take notes if you can, and report back to us in the Blog Comments below.

These are also good questions that should be addressed to your State legislatures when they hold legislative sessions or campaign for re-election.

1. How will you protect the progress made thanks to the Affordable Care Act? (more people insured, children insured on parent’s programs until age 26, protection for pre-existing conditions, etc)

2. The Medicare program is vital to the health of millions of people. Will you protect Medicare for cuts planned by some members of Congress?

3. There are efforts underway to cut Medicaid funding and turn it into individual state grants. How will you fight to keep Medicaid strong and protect it from future cuts?

4. If you favor health care expansion, could you describe your vision? What would be the key points? (Single payer? Incremental stages of expansion?)

5. How will you provide healthcare to low-income people in states that did not expand Medicaid?

6. How will you push pharmaceutical companies to reduce Hight prescription drug prices?

a. Do you support letting Medicare negotiate with prescription drug companies? If so, why?

b. Would you support a bill to allow lower priced generic drugs to access the market more quickly?

c. What efforts will you take to require drug companies to explain large price increases?

d. Would you require drug companies to give a two-month notice when they plan to significantly increase prices?

e. Should Americans be allowed to buy lower priced drugs from other countries or should the U.S. government regulate drug prices?

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Health Care Reform Forum Meetings

4/8/2019

Health Care Reform Forum Meeting - Tuesday, April 16th at 6:00 pm

St. John's Lutheran Church
45070 7th AV, Rock Island, IL (map)

Our Forum is now meeting twice a month.

At our April 2nd meeting we decided to first focus our efforts on "Health Care 101," a program to educate (especially) people who are uninsured on the basic concepts and terminology of health insurance, and to encourage them to check out how they may get insurance through Government programs and the ACA. This will be a primary focus of our next meeting.

The second focus will be on planning an event celebrating the (almost) 10th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act. This event will be in late October to help jump start the ACA open enrollment period which begins November 1st.

Other priorities will be to refine "Health Care 201" which we "premiered" at St John's congregation last month, to get the results of the ACA petitions used with students at Augustana and to consider other venues to collect signatures.

We have ambitious goals. Please join us in planning and accomplishing these goals.

Health Care Reform Upcoming Meetings - March 11, 2049

3/11/2019

Health Care Reform Forum - Additional Meetings through June

Health Care Reform

At our March 5th meeting we laid out some ambitious plans for the coming year.

We also decided to meet twice a month on Tuesdays, at least through June. The first Tuesday meeting will be for regular business. And the third Tuesday meeting will focus on event planning.

So put the following on your calendars now!

March 19th - Event Planning
April 2nd - Monthly Meeting
April 16th - Event Planning
May 7th - Monthly Meeting
May 21st - Event Planning
June 4th - Monthly Meeting
June 18th - Event Planing

Debra Sperry

A Message from the Health Care Reform Forum

1/14/2019

Have You Contacted Your Senators Lately About the ACA?

A month ago, we were all alarmed about a Texas judge’s ruling that the Affordable Care Act was unconstitutional. He ruled that, since the requirement for all to carry health insurance was eliminated in the 2018 tax law, the entire Affordable Care Act was unconstitutional. If upheld, his ruling would strip away quality, affordable health insurance from millions of Americans, including protection for over 133 million Americans from losing coverage for pre-existing conditions.

Fortunately that ruling was widely criticized as faulty, or even frivolous, and Attorneys General of 17 states, including Illinois AG Lisa Madigan, have challenged the ruling in court. This and other legal appeals insure that the ACA benefits will remain in effect for the foreseeable future. So for now at least, the over 8.4 million Americans who signed up for insurance in 2019 on the ACA marketplaces will continue to have the security of good health insurance.

The midterm elections changed the political dynamics in the House of Representatives, and the new membership has already begun to take actions to support the ACA and to address the issue of the rapidly increasing cost of prescription drugs. The majority in the new House has formally authorized attorneys to join those who are challenging the ruling of the Texas judge, and this past week 235 members voted to support the ACA protections for those with pre-existing conditions.

We recognize that actions by the people’s House will probably be buried in the Senate and/or be vetoed by the President, but they will send an important message to all legislators, and to the public, that quality, affordable health insurance is supported by most Americans.

Our forum will continue to monitor developments in health care and inform you of actions you can take to support positive reform proposals. In the meantime, continue to contact your legislators and urge them again to recognize the popular support for quality, affordable health care, including coverage for pre-existing conditions, and to add their voices and votes to legislation that moves toward the goal of effective, accessible, affordable health care for all Americans.

Thank you for all you have done—and keep up the good work!

Frank Samuelson,
Health Care Reform Forum
cfsam22@gmail.com

Recent ACA Ruling in Texas

12/17/2018

Regarding The Recent Ruling Invalidating the ACA

from the PACG Health Care Reform Forum

We are, of course, dismayed that one federal judge in Texas has ruled to invalidate the entire Affordable Care Act, but we will immediately begin looking at what actions we might take and/or recommend to the PACG membership in order to help fight this ruling, to support the ACA, and to continue to work for quality, accessible, affordable health care for all Americans.

In the meantime, please remember that the ACA is still the law of the land.

There will be a long process of legal appeals, probably ending up in the Supreme Court. The five judges who voted to uphold the law when it was first challenged are still on the court. The ACA continues to gather increasing public support even as major benefits of the law have been challenged or eliminated by the present administration. We hope that support, including from grassroots Americans, will help elect a new congress and president in 2020 that will uphold, strengthen, and expand the provisions of the ACA.

So don’t panic. The ACA is still in effect for the foreseeable future, and we will be bringing forward some actions we can take to fend off this latest effort to repeal it.

Frank Samuelson
cfsam22@gmail.com

What You Can Do Now - Sign Up for the Affordable Care Act or Help Others to Do It!

11/20/2018

Help Someone Enroll In The Affordable Care Act

From the PACC HealthCare Reform Forum

If you do not have health insurance, check out coverage options under the Affordable Care Act. Do it now -- the deadline is December 15th!

If you know of a family member, friend, neighbor, or co-worker who might not have health insurance, ask them if they are insured. If they are not, urge them to check out ACA coverage. Offer to help them find out if they may qualify for subsidized premiums under the ACA. Use information from the “Need Health Insurance?” fliers below. They are available in both English and Spanish.

A first time applicant may need help from you or from one of the sources listed on the flier. Your personal help and encouragement may be crucial in getting your friend insured. This will not only benefit your friend, it will also help show public support for keeping and improving the ACA and health care for all Americans.

Another way you can help is to print out some flyers and post them on bulletin boards in barber and beauty shops, pharmacies, libraries, coffee shops, family restaurants, etc. If you need copies of the flyers, contact me.

Frank Samuelson
cfsam22@gmail.com

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Working Together Online Fund Drive: Make America Progressive Again - Health Care Reform - ACA

8/26/2018

The Health Care Reform Forum has been working for affordable quality health care for all since 2005. They were active in working towards passage of the Affordable Care Act. One of their projects was collecting handprints to represent the thousands of Americans estimated to die every year for lack of health insurance. The project included a celebrity panel, as you will see in this video. They were also instrumental in leading efforts to save the ACA when the new administration tried to repeal it.

Find out more at Health Care Reform Forum (on our website) and on Facebook.

Working Together Online Fund Drive: Make America Progressive Again - Health Care Reform Die-In

8/26/2018

Health Care Reform has been active since our founding. Although this video is long, it is definitely old gold. In the run up to the Affordable Care Act, many many PACG members took action for "affordable quality health care for all" even if they weren't officially in the Health Care Reform Forum. Are you in this video? Do you remember this memorable action?

Please watch and then Donate to PACG to help us continue our efforts. Also Like our PACG Facebook page, the Health Care Reform Facebook page and all of our posts!

Working Together Online Fund Drive: Make America Progressive Again - Health Care Reform Forum with Music

8/26/2018

Members of the Health Care Reform Forum sing for health care reform! Enjoy their musical offering!
Learn more at the website (Health Care Reform Forum) and on Facebook.