HealthCareForAmericaNow - California

Have you shared YOUR health insurance “horror story” yet? If you’ve got one, we want to hear it!

Click here & share it today!

Your story will help show State legislators why we need to pass critical State implementation and consumer protection bills here in California. Currently, there are several pieces of legislation that could go to a floor vote in the next week or so.

See below for information on what these bills are and how they’ll help protect California consumers and make our health care system stronger!

Those of particular concern in the State Assembly:

• AB2244 (Feuer): Progressively limits how much private insurers can charge families with children under 19 with so-called “pre-existing conditions” between now and 2014 - when Federal provisions prohibiting all premium differences kick-in.
• AB2578 (Jones): Requires approval from the Department of Managed Health Care OR Department of Insurance whenever private insurance companies attempt to increase the amount of premiums, co-payments, coinsurance, deductibles or other charges under a health plan.
• AB1602 (Perez): Creates the California Cooperative Health Insurance Purchasing Exchange (Cal-CHIPE) and implements a variety of other important provisions of the national health care reform law - including extensions allowing children to be covered by their parents’ plans until age 26.

Those of particular concern in the State Senate:

• SB890 (Alquist & Steinberg): Makes purchasing health plans on the individual market easier by implementing many of the consumer protections in the Federal health care reform law early and includes a strong medical loss ratio so more premium dollars are going to patient care (instead of profits!).
• SB900 (Alquist & Steinberg): Establishes the California Health Insurance Exchange and creates the California Health Insurance Exchange Fund and enables the Exchange to use its bargaining power to negotiate better prices and values for consumers in the exchange.
• SB1163 (Leno): Rate Reviews - Would require health plans to provide, in writing, specific reasons for denial of coverage or for charging higher than the standard rates for coverage.

Today marks the 45th Anniversary of the passing of Medicare! In honor of this occasion, HCAN California and several of our partners, including lead state partner Health Access California, are organizing celebration-events in Los Angeles, Sacramento and San Francisco to show our support for Medicare and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act!

Signed by President Johnson on July 30, 1965 - Medicare remains one of the most popular health plans in the country. Currently, there are nearly 5 million California seniors enrolled in the program. Best of all, thanks to provisions in the new health care law, the Medicare program will become significantly better as a result of benefits that make it more efficient and sustainable while also helping to make prescription medicine more affordable for seniors and offering comprehensive preventive care coverage for FREE.

Want to get involved? Join us in Los Angeles, Sacramento and San Francisco and help us celebrate Medicare and the new health law!

Click here to RSVP for a celebration event in YOUR city!

More than 150 supporters came down to Trinity Cathedral in Sacramento on Thursday (April 1) to show their appreciation for Representative Doris Matsui. The enthusiastic crowd thanked the Congresswoman for her long-term support and her vital role in making health reform a reality last month!

Among those groups who participated in the event included HCAN-CA lead state partner, Health Access, as well as AARP, California Primary Care Association, Sacramento Labor Council, Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment and many others!

Check out the pictures below:

HCAN-CA Campaign Director, Patrick Romano, talks with Rep. Matsui

Crowd thanks Rep. Matsui for standing strong for health care reform.

(from the HCAN-CA ACTION CENTER)

With a possible vote in the House expected to take place as early as next week - we need to make sure every Congressional representative from California knows that we’re counting on them to support health care reform!

Can you take just a few moments to call your Representative and urge him or her to stand strong for health reform?

No matter how much money the private insurance industry spends on lobbyists, anti-health reform propaganda or conferences - they can’t compete with the collective, unified voice of the people!

Click here to get connected to YOUR Representative TODAY!

Or, dial (toll) free 1-877-264-4226 to get connected NOW!

On Wednesday (Feb 17th) hundreds of Californians joined us in Los Angeles and San Francisco to officially kick-off the “40 Days to Health Reform” campaign, a statewide effort to push through a revised, stronger version of the Senate health reform bill through the reconciliation process before the Congressional East Break.

A big THANK YOU to all who came out and participated and helped make these events such a success.

Check out the latest photos and video from the events:

LA Photos:

LA Video:

San Francisco Photos:

On Wednesday, February 17th, Health Care for America Now - California and our partners  will be holding events in San Francisco and Los Angeles to officially kick off the 40 Days, 40 Nights to Health Reform campaign - a national day of action to demonstrate mass public support for finishing health care reform by the Easter holiday using the two-step process involving the Senate’s version of the health reform bill in “Reconciliation.”

At this critical juncture, it’s imperative that we let our Members of Congress know that we’re counting on them to finish the job right! We voted for change in 2008, now we need Congress to vote for real health reform.

See below for event details:

San Francisco:
Wednesday, February 17 from 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Justin Herman Plaza (San Francisco, CA)
1 Market St
San Francisco, CA 94101

Los Angeles:
Wednesday, February 17 from 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Anthem Blue Cross Office (Los Angeles, CA)
801 S. Figueroa St
Los Angeles, CA 90017

Click here to RSVP today!

We’re also looking for volunteers to help us get the word out. If you’re interested in lending a hand, click here to learn about phonebanking from home.

On Saturday (Jan. 23), hundreds of supporters joined HCAN-CA and our partners in Los Angeles and San Francisco to remind Members of Congress that more than seven million Californians are still without health insurance, and urge Congressional leaders to finish health reform right.

Thanks to everybody who helped make these events such a huge success. Your actions helped show Congress that the people of California are counting on them to pass real health reform now!

Here’s a glimpse of some of the action that took place on Saturday:

As we speak, Republicans and high-cost corporate lobbyists of the private insurance industry are doing everything in their power to quash real health reform in this country.

We’ve come too far to let opponents seize this opportunity away from us. That’s why Health Care for America Now - California and our partners are calling on YOU - the determined and unwavering supporters of health reform - to help us remind Members of Congress to finish the job and finish it right.

We know you’re busy. But can you take just a few moments of your time and call your Members of Congress today? Let them know that you’re counting on them to finish health reform right.

It’s time to get it done and get it done right!

Click here to call your Members of Congress and tell them to get it done now.

Simply click on the link above or call (toll-free) 1-877-264-4226 to get connected NOW!

The people of California, more than anywhere else in the country, are in desperate need for health reform that will make health care more affordable and regulate private health insurance industry abuses.

If you know someone who’s ever been denied access to quality care because of a so-called “pre-existing condition,” or couldn’t afford the high-costs of private health insurance - then do it for them! Take just a few minutes of your day and make the call that will make a difference in the lives of millions!

Click here to tell your Members of Congress to FINISH HEALTH REFORM RIGHT!

National Call-In Day: No Excise Tax on Employee Benefits!

It’s only a short matter of time now before both the House and the Senate versions of the health reform bill are sent to Conference where they will be merged. And while there’s no denying that both of these bills contain monumental provisions which would dramatically improve our country’s broken health care system - there still remain a few critical points that need to be changed to better serve the American people.

In particular is the Senate’s inclusion of the so-called “excise tax” on employee health benefits. Contrary to the pro-excise tax propaganda, this ploy to make Middle-Class working families pay for health reform would have devastating consequences for millions of American working families.

On the contrary, the House version of the health reform bill includes progressive health reform financing - a small surtax on the wealthiest 1% of Americans (couples making more than $1 million a year and individuals with an annual income exceeding $500,000).

California’s working families are under enough stress as it is. That’s why we need to call our Members of Congress and URGE them to oppose a tax on OUR health benefits and SUPPORT progressive health reform financing.

Call your Members of Congress today and URGE him or her to oppose taxes on employee health benefits and support real reform that includes progressive financing.

We’ve only got a short time period before the bills go to Conference, and that means this is one of our LAST opportunities to influence the bill in a major way. We’ve set an ambitious goal of making 10,000 calls here in California over the next 24 hours…but we need your help.

Simply click on the link above or call (toll-free) 1-877-264-4226 to get connected NOW!

In the next day or so, Members of the Senate will vote on the critical amendment proposed by Senator Robert Menendez which would allow states the option to eliminate restrictive barriers that force legal immigrants to wait as long as five-years before becoming eligible for Medicaid.

Now it’s time to tell the Senate to finish what it started and vote YES on Senator Menendez’s amendment that would give states the choice to remove cumbersome restrictions that bar legal immigrants from access to quality, affordable health coverage.

Call Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer TODAY and urge them to show their support for equitable health reform that gives states the choice to end restrictions on low-income, legal immigrants and join as co-sponsors of Senator Menendez’s amendment

Simply dial (toll-free) 1-877-264-4226 to be directed to Senators Feinstein and Boxer TODAY!

Because NOBODY should have to wait FIVE YEARS for health care!

Please note - due to overwhelming call-volume, the lines may be busy. If this happens to you, please try again later or let us know at hcan.ca@gmail.com.