Now that the Senate has voted to move forward with discussion on the critical “Patient Protection and Affordable Act,” the next stage of the battle for national health reform will transpire on the Senate floor.

Discussion on the Senate health reform bill are expected to begin after the Thanksgiving break. During this process, a number of amendments to the Senate Health Reform Bill will be proposed - some aiming to make it stronger - and others intended to undermine the Bill’s initial aims at overhauling our broken health care system.

Even though California Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein have shown themselves to be real leaders on health reform in the Senate…it’s crucial that we let them know that we appreciate their support for bringing about real, meaningful health reform that will guarantee access to quality, affordable health care for ALL Americans.

So please, take five minutes today and call Senator Barbara Boxer and Senator Dianne Feinstein and thank them for doing the right thin on Saturday and voting in favor of discussing health reform legislation in the Senate.

Simply click on the link below to get connected now!

Call Sen. Boxer and Sen. Feinstein TODAY and let them know that you appreciate their support to proceed to debate on health reform!

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on Thursday is expected to announce the Senate’s version of the national health reform bill, aptly titled, “The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.”

There’s been a lot of buzz going around about what the bill will include, including this in-depth analysis by the New York Times, which compares the likely Senate Bill to the House’s “Affordable Health Care for America Act.”

According to the most recent information we’ve seen, the Senate Bill will ensure all Americans have access to quality, affordable health care,  as well as creating the necessary transformation within the health care system to help control costs.  The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) recently reported that the Senate Health Reform Bill will provide coverage to more than 94% of Americans while remaining under the previously stipulated $900 billion budget limit - both improving access to quality health care and helping to reduce the Federal deficit over the next 10 years!

Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting development!

The Washington Post’s “Daily Dose” health-reform blog reported Friday that the private health insurance industry is continuing to do everything in its power to derail national health reform.

According to Washington Post reporter Dan Eggen:

The nation’s largest health insurance carrier is urging its employees to lobby the Senate against reform proposals that would hurt the firm’s bottom line, according to copies of e-mails released Thursday by a liberal advocacy group.

UnitedHealth Group, which is based in Minnesota, sent an e-mail message (PDF) to its 75,000 employees on Tuesday asking them to write their senators and local newspapers in opposition to a public insurance option, alleging that “government-run health care” will force “millions of Americans” to drop their current coverage.

The California-based advocacy group, Consumer Watch Dog, published the text of the letters from United Health Group. Check them out here.

On Saturday, November 14, Representative Xavier Becerra of California’s 31st Congressional District is hosting a special Health Care Reform Town Hall meeting in Los Angeles.

Not only is this an opportunity to hear from one of the leading House Democrats on health reform; but also a chance for the people of California’s 31st district to show their appreciation for a true champion of health care reform.

So Join HCAN-CA and Representative Becerra on Saturday, Nov. 14 at 2:00 pm for a special “Health Reform” Town Hall meeting.

Rep. Becerra has been an outstanding leader and a true champion of health reform throughout this historic battle. Even more, Rep. Becerra’s support was critical in passing legislation that not only improves access to quality, affordable healthcare for millions of Americans, but also provides stringent regulations against private health insurance industry abuses and, above all, includes the choice of a public health insurance option.

See below for more details:

Health Care Reform Town Hall Meeting

WHERE: Clinica Monsignor Oscar A. Romero

123 S. Alvarado St., Los Angeles, CA 90057

WHEN: Saturday, November 14, at 2:00 pm

Help us get the word out! Please tell your friends, family and co-workers and urge them to join Rep. Xavier Becerra for a  Town-Hall Meeting on health reform on Saturday Nov. 14th!

All this week, Health Care for America Now - California and our statewide partners (including Health Access California and MoveOn) are sponsoring actions all throughout the state, thanking California Representatives in the House who showed true leadership and initiative in voting YES on the monumental health reform bill, the “Affordable Health Care for America Act.”

It’s imperative at this critical juncture that we let our Members of Congress know that we appreciate their support for health care reform. It’s also important that we express our disappointment in those lawmakers who opted NOT to vote for comprehensive health reform in Saturday’s House vote. To find an event near you, simply click here.

Click here to find an event in your community and join us as we begin the “Countdown to Change!”

Simply enter your zip code and find the event closest to you.

Don’t see an event nearby? That’s okay! You can still get involved by making a call to your Representative.

Click here to see how your Representative voted. If they voted on the side of the millions of Californians in desperate need for health reform, send them a thank you message.

This weekend the House of Representatives voted and PASSED the monumental health reform bill - H.R. 3962, the “Affordable Health Care for America Act!.”

This one-of-a-kind bill will guarantee All Americans quality, affordable health care, as well as health regulate private health insurance industry abuses.

But the biggest victory of all was the inclusion of a strong public health insurance option.

Health Care for America Now - California and its statewide partners would like THANK those Representatives who voted in support for comprehensive health reform.

Join us in thanking those who made the right decision to stand on OUR side and pass this monumental health care reform bill.

Click here to see how your Representative voted. If they voted on the side of the millions of Californians in desperate need for health reform, send them a thank you message.

If not, then let them know that the people of California deserve better!

Stay tuned for further updates. Now that the House bill has passed, we’ll re-focus our attention on the Senate and help make health reform a reality in 2009!

Together we WILL make a difference in the lives of millions!

Wow! Thanks to your amazing efforts, we’ve raised more than one-third of our goal towards purchasing full-page print ads urging Represen

tatives Jim Costa and Dennis Cardoza to “VOTE YES” on the monumental H.R. 3962, the “Affordable Health Care for America Act!”

Thanks to your contributions, we were able to purchase ads in the Bakesrfield Californian and the Fresno Bee, two of the largest daily newspapers in the Central Valley!! We owe it all to our heroic supporters out there who helped make this happen.

But we still need to keep the pressure on! Can you take five minutes to please call your Representatives in the House, and make sure they know that you’re

e counting on them to vote YES on Saturday for H.R. 3962, the “Affordable Health Care for America Act!”

Simply click here or call (toll-free) 1-800-264-4226 to get connected with your Representative TODAY!

According to the latest info from Congress, the House will likely vote on their historic health care bill as early as tomorrow!

That’s why we need as many Californians as possible to call their  Representatives in Washington and make sure they know that NOW, more than ever before, California needs real, national health reform that will make affordable, quality health care a reality for all.

Click here to watch a special video from Health Care for America Now and call your Representatives in Congress TODAY!

We also need supporter to write e-mail to their Members of Congress telling them just how important it really is that the people of California get meaningful reform they can count on.

We’ve worked so hard, and we’ve still got a ways to go. But right now we’re closer than we’ve ever been before, and with your tremendous support, we’ll make national health reform a reality in 2009.

Click here to write your Representative NOW!

Monday (Nov. 2)  is Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). To commemorate the the holiday, HCAN-CA and our lead state partner, Health Access California, are honoring the lives of those who have died because they lacked health care coverage or were denied life-saving treatment by the for-profit private health insurance industry.

So join us on Monday for Dia de los Muertos at Placita Olvera at 10:00 am.

See you there! And remember, together we can make a difference in the lives of MILLIONS!