This message went out to our members this morning, but I know that members of the MLN community are as eager to take action as anyone. Call Joe today!
Call Sen. Lieberman and Demand Quality, Affordable Health Care for All
Dear Friend,
The insurance industry is pushing for less regulation. They want more leeway to drop people with pre-existing conditions and deny you care. Today, people around the country are standing up and calling Congress to stop them.
Call Joe Lieberman and stop the insurance lobbyists! Dial 1-888-436-8427
For months now the insurance industry has been on tour, pushing for more industry-friendly policies. And even though massive deregulation is what caused the current financial crisis that threatens our economy, the insurance industry wants more deregulation so they can take more of your money and give you less in return.
The industry has said that they are fundamentally against the real solutions we need: A guarantee of quality, affordable health care for everyone in America. So today across America, we're engaging all of our partners and supporters to have thousands of people call Congress and demand real health care reform. The insurance industry has made it clear where they stand, but do your Members of Congress know where you stand?
Give Senator Joe Lieberman a call. Demand quality, affordable health care for all! Dial 1-888-436-8427
With health care costs rising and wages falling, causing one bankruptcy every nineteen seconds, it's clear any solution to America's economic crisis has to include health care reform. Even if you've called your Members of Congress before, please do so again. So far, we have over 100 Members of Congress on board (and four from CT) with our effort, but that isn't enough to win health care reform yet.
We need your voice!
Congress works for you! Call Senator Joe Lieberman today and demand health care reform. Dial 1-888-436-8427
We are not going to allow our health care system to the point that our banking system did. Please make your voice heard.
To Your Health,
Phil Sherwood
Deputy Director, CT Citizen Action Group
P.S. Please forward this action alert to your family, friends and neighbors.
Disclosure: I am the Online Organizer for Connecticut Citizen Action Group (CCAG)
A Message from Ned Lamont about Million Doors for Peace
Join us this Saturday, September 20th! Details below.
It has been five and a half years since the start of the Iraq War. Over the course of that time, millions of Americans have taken to the streets to protest this abhorrent war, holding marches and rallies all across this country and in its capital city.
But what about the majority of Americans who favor peace but cannot join us at a traditional rally in Washington D.C.? That is why it is time we turned the notion of an anti-war protest on its head, and instead of packing a million people into the National Mall, we knock on a million doors.
On Saturday, September 20 we intend to do just that.
The Charter Oak Plan championed by Gov. Rell as a way to address the necessity of affordable insurance coverage for uninsured adults began accepting applicants at the beginning of July and goes into effect on August 1, but is it insurance? No:
Charter Oak ... cuts some corners in providing benefits that actual health insurance plans aren't permitted to under state law.
[...]
The [Insurance] department will not regulate the plan's "benefits, forms and rate filings," as it would for an insurance plan offered by a private insurer. The department "does not regulate benefits, forms, and rates related to social programs which are not sold in the commercial insurance market."
To answer Ted Mann's question, I say that we call Charter Oak the imitation crab meat of health insurance. In other words, Charter Oak is close enough to health insurance to pass for people who don't know any better:
Here's a line from a radio ad you can find on the web site of Gov. M. Jodi Rell, about her signal health policy offering, which allows customers to buy a relatively low-cost private health care coverage:
"For the first time in my life I have health insurance," a woman's voice says, "thanks to the Charter Oak Health Plan."
Last Thursday, CCAG, Citizens for Economic Opportunity, and others united under the Health Care For America Now! banner to visit CBIA and Gov. Jodi Rell in Hartford. Our question to them?
After our group assembled at Union Station in Hartford and got fired up, our first stop was at the headquarters of CBIA, which purports to represent the interest of businesses large and small in Connecticut. However, when it comes to health care reform they always represent their own interests first: CBIA joined with big insurance companies like Anthem to lobby Gov. Rell with enough misleading information to convince her to veto the health care pooling bill (HB 5536). The pooling bill would have enabled small businesses, non-profits, and municipalities to buy into the state health insurance pool.
Once CBIA heard us, we followed the money over to the Capitol, where we delivered a letter to Governor Rell. She was not available to receive it in person, so we look forward to hearing back as to which side she is on.
Today is the launch of a brand new, nationwide campaign to bring about Health Care for America Now! CCAG is joining with CT AFL-CIO, SEIU, AFSCME and other state leaders to launch the Health Care for America Now! Campaign in Connecticut. Our launch event is one of the 44 occurring today, all across the U.S.
Watch the CT launch event!
Disclosure: I am the Online Organizer for Connecticut Citizen Action Group (CCAG)
Rell's statements that Charter Oak would cover the neediest adult applicants because it has income-based subsidies and contains no restrictions against those with pre-existing and chronic conditions is "simply false," said Sheldon V. Toubman of the New Haven Legal Assistance Association.
"The plan as it was designed was meant to keep the most vulnerable people out," Toubman said.
Toubman referred to an e-mail message obtained by Charter Oak opponents under open-records laws, in which a consultant wrote to state officials, including Commissioner Michael Starkowski of the Department of Social Services, that the caps on expenditures under Charter Oak would provide a "disincentive approach" to "avoid bad risk" - that is, to discourage unhealthy people more likely to incur significant or repeated medical expenses from signing up.
The plan's annual benefit limits of $7,500 for prescriptions, $4,000 on durable medical equipment, and $100,000 total are sufficient for people who are ordinarily healthy -- like recent college grads -- but provide insufficient coverage for those who need it the most. Also, the premiums for Charter Oak are not lower than what such a person could get on his own.
A major victory on health care is still forthcoming, but progress was made and groundwork was laid to that end. The Healthcare Partnership Bill (HB 5536), which would have opened up the state employee health insurance pool to municipalities, non-profits, and small businesses passed by significant majorities in both the House and Senate but was vetoed by Governor Rell on advice of insurance industry lobbyists. In other health care news, a "Commission on Health Equity" was established to address racial and ethnic disparities in the health care system.
So many new things are happening online with CCAG that I want to let the MLN community know about, so I've distilled them all into a single post. I will monitor the comments, so you can post you questions and comments there or e-mail me any time at beau@ccag.net.
Governor Rell has still not acted on the HB 5536 - An Act Establishing the Connecticut Healthcare Partnership, but if she acts as expected we need to get legislators on the record willing to override her veto. Rep. Peter Tercyak (who represents my district) has already responded that he will stand by his vote. I posted a sample of the letter I sent him on MLN earlier this week. When you hear back from your State Rep. and State Senator, don't forget to send a message to HB5536@ccag.net to let me know what you heard.
A whole slew of fine folks will be in New Britain to support CCAG this Saturday from 1 to 4pm, most notably 5th District Congressman Chris Murphy:
Congressman Chris Murphy
Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz
State Comptroller Nancy Wyman
House Majority Leader Chris Donovan
Sen. Donald DeFronzo; Rep. Betty Boukus; Rep. John Geragosian
Rep. Tim O'Brien; Rep. Peter Tercyak
City Treasurer Teresa Sapieha-Yanchak; Mayor Pro Temp Suzanne Bielinski; Alderman Phil Sherwood; Alderwoman Tonilynn Collins; Alderwoman Eva Magnuzewski; Alderwoman Shirley Black; Alderwoman Sylvia Cruz; Alderman Larry Hermanowski; Alderman Greg Gerratana; Alderman Roy Centeno; Alderwoman Lori Rocha; Alderman Adam Platosz
If you'd like to join us, click one of the links below to get more information, or contact Jeff at CCAG (860) 233-2181 x313
Tuesday was the official launch of a system to publicly finance elections in Connecticut called the "Citizens' Election Program" which was passed in 2005 and was first utilized in special elections held last year. Connecticut Citizen Action Group, Common Cause, and the League of Women Voters were among the organizations thanked for their efforts in pushing for this landmark campaign finance reform.
State Elections Enforcement Commission director Jeff Garfield describes the Citizens' Election Program as a "'Clean Money' system of financing elections" and it did not go without saying at the launch event that the necessity of this reform was amplified by the events leading up to Governor Rowland's resignation in 2004.
One of the goals of the program is to limit the dependence of candidates on special interest money, and it does so by requiring candidates to raise a minimum amount of contributions from district residents. State Senate Candidates need to get contributions from a minimum of 300 district residents while State Representative candidates need contributions from a minimum of 150 district residents. District residency is defined to include residents of any municipality that is wholly or partially included in the district. Christine Stuart of CT News Junkie was at the launch, and succinctly describes the remaining financial requirements and rewards:
Candidates running for state Senate must raise $15,000 in contributions from individuals to qualify for the $85,000 grant, while candidates running for a state House seat must raise $5,000 from individuals in order to qualify for the $25,000 grant.
* Joe Lieberman Goes Green ... as in dollars. Under the guise of an environmental bill, Lieberman is ready to hand out billions to the coal industry. Matt Stoller at Open Left has the details.
* Tom Swan of Connecticut Citizens Action Group is fighting the good fight for Universal Health Care in CT. State lawmakers are meeting in Hartford to see if they can work out some kind of plan.
* Waterbury Police Chief Neil O'Learyresponds to Senator DeLuca's claim that O'Leary failed to investigate his granddaughter's claims of spousal abuse. O'Leary reveals a note in which DeLuca thanks O'Leary for sponsoring a fundraiser for him. Does this seem odd to anyone: A police chief sponsoring a fundraiser for a state senator, who the policeman knows is under investigation by the FBI?
At midnight on Wednesday the legislative session comes to a close. With less than two days till adjournment the legislature has failed to address the current health care crisis (PDF) in Connecticut. Our political leaders’ rhetoric would lead us to believe they understand the need for action, but we have yet to see anything real (may have link of these and other quotes up at www.ccag.net)
“Providing coverage to the uninsured is an urgent need that demands action now.”
“We are all deeply aware of the problem. Now it is time to move the solution forward -- because in a very real sense coverage delayed is coverage denied.”
Senate President Don Williams (The Courant, February 6, 2007):
Our existing health care system is on life support. We must tell the truth about health care, and have the courage to do what is necessary to improve quality, accessibility and affordability.
We should create a Medicare-for-all program in Connecticut to provide a single, statewide insurance program for everyone in our state.
Speaker of the House Jim Amann (The News-Times, July 17, 2006):
In 2007, this [health care] is going to be the biggest issue facing the Democratic caucus and facing the legislature.
Unfortunately it is beginning to look like these may become empty promises instead of real health security for Connecticut’s families. The greedy insurance companies and their front group (which in many ways is just an insurance scam) the Connecticut Business and Industries Association (CBIA) are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars and forcing their employees to contact leaders in order to stop real reforms and protect their profits. The insurance companies have banded together to form a corporate shell that his week released a questionable on-line poll that tried to misrepresent what the fight is about.
It is clear that the Legislature and the Governor are underestimating the public’s desire for real reform. Advocates are demanding the enactment of a public purchasing pool that will significantly limit HMO’s ability to profiteer, expansion of the safety net, and the creation of an authority that will present a plan for universal coverage for next year’s session.
It is time for our leaders to act. If not, next year is the first time legislators will run under a system of public financing and not on the tit of HMOs and lobbyists. Contact Governor Rell (800) 406-1527 and your legislators and let them know Connecticut wants real change. Find your legislators:
In case you haven't noticed it on the MLN calendar, I wanted to highlight a this item from John Murphy at CCAG about a protest tomorrow in Hartford.
Americans Against Escalation in Iraq, Connecticut Citizen Action Group, MoveOn.org, TrueMajority.org, and VoteVets are joining together for a protest tomorrow, Thursday, Feb. 8 at 4:30PM at Joe Lieberman's Hartford office.
Murph writes:
On Monday, Senator Joe Lieberman (CFL-CT) voted against ending the filibuster on a debate on the war in Iraq. He joined with Republican leaders and nearly all of his Republican colleagues to block debate and a vote on a bipartisan resolution expressing the Senate's opposition to sending more American troops into a civil war in Iraq.
By doing so, Lieberman gave President Bush the green light to move forward with his escalation plans. An overwhelming majority of the American public have called for a change of course in Iraq. So have the Iraq Study Group, senior military leaders, the troops and the intelligence community.
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