Texas Voice for Health Reform Weekly Update | August 27, 2009
Texas Voice for Health Reform Weekly Update | August 27, 2009
In this issue….
Action:
Get out to Health Reform Events
End Waiting Periods for Affordable Health Care Options for Legal Immigrants
News & Updates:
Health Care Champion Senator Edward Kennedy Passes Away
Resources:
Private Insurance Reform
Health Reform Must-Reads
Calendar:
ACTION
Get Out to Health Reform Events!
There are still many opportunities to attend health reform events with Members of Congress! We want our representatives to return to Washington, D.C. knowing that they have strong support for health reform from their Texas constituents.
Selected highlights for the next week include:
• August 28: Live Chat with Representative Chet Edwards
• August 28: Town Hall meeting with Representative Gonzalez
• August 29: Real Voices for Change Sendoff Rally for Representative Lloyd Doggett (please RSVP)
• September 2: Telephone Town Hall with Representative Solomon Ortiz
• September 2: El Paso Sendoff Rally
• September 3: Houston Sendoff Rally
• September 5: Rio Grande Valley Sendoff Rally
For more information about these events and many more visit our calendar online
End Waiting Periods for Affordable Health Care Options for Legal Immigrant in Health Reform
The National Immigration Law Center works to protect the rights of immigrants to this country. In the midst of the health reform debate, the NILC has been pushing to ensure that the current law which states that legal immigrants must wait five years to access public health benefits (Medicaid) be changed to remove this waiting period. Visit the NILC’s Health Care Page to find out what you can do to ensure that these important provisions for legal immigrants are included in health reform legislation.
NEWS & UPDATES
Health Care Champion Senator Edward Kennedy Passes Away
After a battle with brain cancer, Senator Kennedy of Massachusetts passed away on Tuesday August 25, 2009. As Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Kennedy played a key role in moving the comprehensive health reform debate now in Congress, just as he lead the nation in most major health, labor and social justice legislation in his nearly 50 years as an elected official. His committee’s legislation will be reconciled with the Senate Finance Committee’s health reform bill in the coming weeks.
Visit Kaiser Health News’ round-up of coverage of Senator Kennedy’s passing
RESOURCES
Private Insurance
Reforming private insurance is one of the most important parts of health reform because it will benefit all of us no matter how we access health insurance. The private health insurance industry is also one of the most powerful lobbies in Washington, DC on this issue. The following links are useful for understanding the private insurance market, the power that the insurance industry has over the debate, and what Americans can gain from private market reform.
• For Texans, Health Reform Must Include Insurance Reform (Texas Voice for Health Reform)
• The Roster is a blog expose on private health insurance giants in the United States
• Health insurers get upper hand (L.A. Times)
• Insurer-Owned Consulting Firm Often Cited in Health Debate (Washington Post)
• How Health Insurance Premiums are Eating Up Middle-Class Incomes – How National Reform Can Help (The Commonwealth Fund)
Must-Reads
• This Could Be the Next Big Issue in Health Reform (Kaiser Family Foundation)
• Who Needs the Public Option? (New York Times)
• Congress Deadlocked Over How Not to Provide Health Care (The Onion)
CALENDAR
Please email quongcharles@cppp.org if you have health reform activities for our calendar For the most up-to-date calendar events and details, visit our online calendar of events.
Other online calendars:
Organizing for America Texas Events
August
• 27th: Representative Brady Town Hall meetings
• 27th: Dallas Phone Bank
• 27th: El Paso Phone Bank
• 28th: Representative Edwards Live Chat
• 28th: Representative Rodriguez Town Hall
• 28th: El Paso Phone Bank
• 29th: El Paso Health Disparities Round Table
• 29th: Waco Town Hall with Representative Edwards
• 29th: Mission and Edinburg Canvass
• 29th: Austin Real Voices for Change Rally
• 29th: Representative Olson Town Hall meeting
• 31st: Richardson, TX Health Hearing
September
• 1st: Representative Green Town Hall meetings
• 2nd: El Paso Sendoff Rally
• 2nd: Representative Ortiz Tele Town Hall
• 3rd: Houston Health Rally
• 4th: Representative Edwards Town Hall-Cleburne, TX
• 5th: Rio Grande Valley Sendoff Rally
• 8th: Representative Burgess Town Hall meetings
• 11th: Deadline to submit entries in Texas Impact’s Health Reform Sermon Contest
• 14th: League of Women Voters open meeting
• 15th: League of Women Voters open meeting
• 16th: League of Women Voters open meeting
