Making it easy for you

Below is a letter I sent to my representative, senators, and President Obama. The letter calls for a public option in the current health care reform proposal. Health care reform without the public option will be essentially ineffective, and a waste of time and money. Please notify the powers that be that you would like a public option for health care. You can copy my letter and modify it accordingly.

Below is the information about contact information for representatives, senators, and the president.

http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW_by_State.shtml
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

Below is the letter:

Dear XX,

The current health care system is hurting America. Costs are continually on the rise. More than one in three Americans are uninsured (http://www.familiesusa.org/issues/uninsured/). My husband and I are self-employed, which means we must pay for insurance independently. So, I know from experience that the health care industry only cares for those who have enough money to keep up with the cost of hefty premiums. Because we are not insured through a corporate employer, our insurance is much too expensive for far too little coverage.

The current economic crisis our country faces only adds to the injustices imposed by the current health care system. Some of my closest family members, including my mother, who in the past has suffered from cancer, have lost their insurance coverage because they lost their jobs. I live in constant worry that they will be caught without insurance when they need it most, and essentially their lives will be ruined, if not needlessly shortened.

I understand that widespread healthcare reform will not be without cost to the American taxpayer; however, I feel that the proposal to raise taxes on those who make more than $250,000 per year is an appropriate measure to help recoup the cost. This tax raise would not affect small businesses, and it will in effect work to roll back the tax breaks given to the wealthy under President Bush.

I have much hope for the current health care reform proposal. It will save the average American thousands of dollars every year, and it will allow health care access for every American, not just for the wealthy, and not just for those lucky enough to have an employer who pays for coverage. Finally, although opponents to the bill try to scare American citizens by claiming the bill is much too expensive, in the long run the bill will in fact save Americans money by lowering the costs of health care.

Recently President Obama has tempered his demand for a public option. Please tell President Obama that the true wishes of millions of Americans like me are being drowned out by the cries of the uninformed, the money of corporate lobbyists, and the unproductive chaos taking place at so-called "town hell" meetings across the country. Millions of Americans like me want the public option, and in fact insist that it be included in any health care reform bill.

This is a time of singular importance in American history. For far too long, corporate lobbyists have swayed our government's agenda more than the American people have. Please help lead the way in taking back our unalienable rights. Without access to health care, millions of Americans are being denied their rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Please pass health care reform now, and please insist that it includes a public option.

Sincerely,
XX