Insur-Animals #1

This is kind of awesome. Pass Prescription for Pennsylvania (and Access to Basic Care). Health Insurance companies are evil.

Technorati Tags: cartoon, fun activism, health care, health insurance

From the Philadelphia Unemployment Project

An Open Letter

April 10, 2008

Dear Senator Clinton and Senator Obama:

Healthcare has been central to each of your campaigns. As you work here in advance of the April 22nd primary, we wanted to alert you that healthcare is the number one opportunity we have to improve the lives of working Pennsylvanians right now. We, the undersigned, believe your campaigns could advance the cause of Pennsylvania’s reforms, should you choose to make them an issue.

Early last year, Governor Rendell unveiled an ambitious package of reforms known as The Prescription for Pennsylvania (Rx4PA, www.rxforpa.com). Rx4PA would expand access to health insurance with a high quality healthcare plan. With revisions from the House Democrats, that plan is now known as “Access to Basic Care,” and it passed the House this month in Senate Bill 1137.

Rx4PA would also rein in the forces that have driven up the price of insurance in the small group market, reward employers already providing coverage and insure that no one with a pre-existing condition is denied coverage.These also passed the House of Representatives in House Bill 2098 and House Bill 2005.

If these reforms succeed in the Commonwealth, it will make the arguments for either of your national plans much stronger. Rx4PA’s success should also galvanize your allies in Washington while chastening your opponents.

Here's one of the four buses that came from Philadelphia to rally for health insurance for low-income workers, and reforms in everyone else's health insurance program. All in all, about 150 to 200 Philadelphians made there way up to Harrisburg to back up the Governor's Prescription for Pennsylvania.

From Philadelphia Citizens for Children and Youth

The U.S. House of Representatives will vote on the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) bill on Tuesday (September 25th) and the Senate will vote on SCHIP by Thursday (September 27th) !

This bill will allow four million children to get health insurance who would otherwise be uninsured. It also protects children now covered so Pennsylvania will keep providing coverage to the 164,000 children currently enrolled in CHIP.

But, the President has threatened to veto it.

Your call is so important because it will take a big vote (at least two-thirds) for the House and Senate to show the President it will reject his ill-considered veto. Four million children need you to call. Tell your Representative: “I'm a constituent who thinks covering four million more uninsured children is one of the most important votes you can take. Please vote for the State Children's Health Insurance Program bill . ”

The Inquirer reported this week that health insurance costs about the same as an economy car to cover the family each year.

Some standout quotes from the piece by Jane Von Bergen:

Health insurance premiums for the average family topped $12,000 in 2006 - more than the cost of an economy car - according to an annual survey released yesterday.
...
"It's the growing anxiety on the part of the public which is moving health care up the political agenda," said Drew Altman, president and chief executive officer of the California-based foundation.
...
Annual premiums average $12,106 for families, with workers, on average, picking up $3,281 of the cost. Coverage for singles costs $4,479, with individuals paying $694.

Workers in companies with fewer than 200 employees pay a larger share of the premiums for family coverage than do their counterparts in larger companies.