THE ISSUE: The new leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives, which was sworn in at noon on Wednesday, January 5, 2011, is leading a charge
to repeal the Health Care reform legislation, which the NAACP fought so hard to see enacted last year. Less than a year after President Obama
signed the landmark Affordable Care Act into law, a final vote on the proposal to repeal this crucial legislation is scheduled for next Wednesday,
January 12, 2011. The Affordable Care Act represents a major overhaul of our Nation’s health care system and will provide more than 32 million
Americans, who had been uninsured with health care coverage.
Other provisions in this law which were strongly supported by the NAACP would :
- Take an aggressive approach to address the health care disparities that continue to plague so many racial and ethnic minority communities.
- Outlaw discrimination against Americans with pre-existing conditions.
- Not allow insurance companies to deny coverage to a person because he or she has gotten sick.
- Expand dependent care so that older children can be covered under their parents’ policies.
- Create state-based exchanges through which people without employer-provided coverage can purchase health insurance.
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Provide federal subsidies to people who must purchase their own health insurance and earn between 133% and 400% of the federal poverty level
($24,352 and $73,240 for a family of 3 in 2010). - Increase in the number of children from low-and middle-income families who have health insurance.
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Shave $130 billion off the deficit, according to the Congressional Budget Office, the entire package will cost $940 billion over 10 years. It
is also, expected to cut more than a trillion dollars from the deficit over 20 years.
Now is the time when we should be concentrating on fully implementing this new law so that the maximum number of Americans can enjoy the benefits
of health insurance while at the same time minimizing the costs and risks associated to businesses and the economy overall. We have come too far in
the struggle for health care equality to turn back the clock to the days of too many Americans being uninsured or facing distasteful medical
decisions because they are underinsured.
THE MESSAGE
- The NAACP-supported health care measure will provide health care coverage to 32 million Americans who are currently uninsured.
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Now is the time when we should be concentrating on fully implementing this new law so that the maximum number of Americans can enjoy the
benefits ofhealth insurance while at the same time minimizing the costs and risks associated to businesses and the economy overall. -
We have come too far in the struggle for health care equality to turn back the clock to the days of too many Americans being uninsured or
facing distasteful medical decisions because they are underinsured. -
If the new health care reform law is repealed, Americans will lose other vital protections including a provision making it illegal to
discriminate against Americans with preexisting conditions and an aggressive approach to eliminate health care disparities.
THE ACTION WE NEED YOUR TO TAKE:
Contact your Representatitve and both your Senators and URGE THEM TO OPPOSE EFFORTS TO REPEAL THE NEW HEALTH CARE LAW. To contact your Senators and
Representative, you may:
Make a Phone Call: Call your Senators and your Representative in Washington by dialing the Capitol Switchboard and asking to be transferred to your
Senators’/Congressman’s offices. The switchboard phone number is (202) 224-3121.
Send a Fax: If you would like to send a fax, call your Senators’ or Representative’s offices (through the Capitol switchboard) and ask for their
fax numbers (you can use either the attached sample letter or the message box, below).
Send an E-Mail: To send an e-mail to your Senators, go to www.senate.gov; click on “Find Your Senators”. Look up your Senators by state; go to
their web sites for e-mail addresses. To send an e-mail to your Representative, go to www.house.gov, and click on “Write Your Representative” (on
the left hand side, just under “find your Representative). This will help you identify who your congressman is and how to contact him/her.
REMEMBER TO CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVE AND BOTH OF YOUR SENATORS.
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