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Write Letter, Win Pen: A Retiree’s Prescription for Health Care Reform |
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Alliance for Retired Americans President Barbara J. Easterling encourages union retirees to contact their local newspapers about health care—and get a free union-made Retirees with the Write Stuff pen.
As Congress begins to vote on health care reform, we must all make our voices heard. One of the most effective ways to do this is by writing a letter to the editor.
In many newspapers, the Letters to the Editor page is the most widely read section. Not only can you help educate others in your community, but you can get noticed by savvy elected officials who keep a close eye on these letters to gauge the mood of their constituents.
Retirees with the Write Stuff is simple: Write letter, win pen. If a newspaper runs your letter about health care or any other retiree topic, send us a copy and you will receive a free, union-made Retirees with the Write Stuff pen.
Send us a copy of your letter at:
Letters to the Editor
Alliance for Retired Americans
815 16th St., N.W.
Washington, DC 20006
Letters also can be e-mailed to Letters@RetiredAmericans.org or faxed to 202-637-5398.
The national health care debate is very important to retirees. Here are some ideas from the Alliance:
- Help Early Retirees. More than 5 million Americans ages 55-64 are uninsured and should be able to buy into Medicare and have regular doctor visits during this critical period of their lives.
- Lower the Cost of Prescription Drugs. Allow Medicare to negotiate volume discounts with drug manufacturers. The Veterans Affairs can do this and its prescriptions cost 58 percent less.
- End Wasteful Taxpayer Subsidies to private insurance companies that run Medicare Advantage programs at a cost nearly 20 percent higher than Medicare.
- Make Long-Term Care Affordable. The CLASS Act by Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) would create an insurance program to help middle-class families with the cost of long-term care.
- Continue Tax-Free Health Benefits. Eliminating or reducing the tax benefit for employers who provide health insurance would cause many companies to stop offering affordable coverage for workers and retirees.
As the nation’s health care crisis sweeps across generations, we must rise to the challenge. Our voices, our experiences and our passion can help create a nation with quality, affordable health care for all.
2 Comments
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I have three health insurance companies engaging in lying, cheating and stealing, deceptive trade practices and fraud. One is using the employers lack of paying the premium. The employer uses the excuse of election problems , which is due to their highly secure and complex online systems. The other insurance companies use the excuse that they sent a survey form inquiring about other coverage. Even when you finally get it and swear you do not have coverage, they misinterpret that you do have other converge. All of the parties use highly secure
corporate websites to communicate messages that are erased after a few weeks. They never fail to collect the premiums.
Between Banks, credit card companies and health insurance companies, the example of lying, cheating and stealing is the order of the day. This not godly, not even free enterprise, and will lead to the destruction of this country and the world. We are all consumers. This has to stop.
Universal Health Care
A poem by David G. Hurlburt 2007 CWA local 9410
Health care is our basic human right.
Now is the time to stand up and fight.
Put our money and our vote up on the line.
Get up on our feet and walk a picket line.
Dial a phone or write a letter,
Do it so every one will feel better.
Why should only the rich have medical care?
And the poor kids die but Bush doesn’t care?
Get out of your chair and in to the street.
It is time for us all to vote with our feet.
Show and tell politicians, turn up the heat.
If we all fight together we can not be beat.
The Iraqis get universal health care,
The rules of war require that its there.
Prisoners in Git-mo get medical care.
But not all Americans that’s just not fair?
What about the hard working poor?
They need medical care for sure?
The system is broken it profits the greedy.
Let us fix the system to serve the needy.
While we are at it Health care for profit must go.
Single payer health care for all is the way to go.
Overhead and profit is just another poison pill.
We have had enough we have taken our fill.
Skyrocketing premiums, deductibles and co-pay,
Caused by advertising, profit and big CEO pay.
It must be stopped now and here is the fix.
There is a bill in the congress HR six seven six.