Your Senators Urgently Need to Hear that You Support Health Care Reform —
Make Free Calls Now
People with all types of disabilities need to be heard now to make sure that comprehensive health reform legislation is enacted this year. People with disabilities — in addition to other Americans — need access to quality, affordable health care, as well as long term services and supports.
Please call your two Senators now toll-free at 866-210-3678. After you identify yourself and where you live (very important to let them know that you live in their state), say that you ask the Senator to support health care reform legislation to make quality health care affordable to people with disabilities, and for other Americans, such as the HELP Committee bill.
Help us to plan- After calling your Senator please return to this page and complete the feedback form. The information that you supply will help us to plan future strategies on this very important issue.
Click here for form.
According to a 2008 National Center for Health Statistics report, approximately 19% of non-institutionalized adults with mobility, sensory, and cognitive disabilities and mental illnesses and 17% of people with complex disabilities (such as those that limit self-care, work, or social or leisure activities) reported having no health insurance. Even people with health insurance are often forced into bankruptcy by medical costs.
The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee is now deciding what its health care reform legislation will do. This historic legislation addresses many access issues important to people with disabilities:
- It would require insurers to provide health insurance equally to people with disabilities and other pre-existing conditions without charging higher premiums or providing less coverage than for other people.
- It would prohibit life-time and annual caps on coverage – so you won’t run out of benefits even though you have long-term health care needs.
- It would create a voluntary payroll deduction program that would enable people with disabilities to pay for personal assistance or other services that enable people to remain at home and community rather than go into a nursing home.
Your voice is needed to counter the calls and emails to the Hill that oppose health care reform. Please contact your Senators now to voice your support for health care reform efforts such as the HELP Committee bill. This Senate legislation will likely be the only way to enact a way to obtain long term services and supports in the home and community.
Please call your two Senators now toll-free at 866-210-3678. After you identify yourself and where you live (very important to let them know that you live in their state), say that you ask the Senator to support health care reform legislation to make quality health care affordable to people with disabilities, and for other Americans, such as the HELP Committee bill.
Help us to plan- After calling your Senator please return to this page and complete the feedback form. The information that you supply will help us to plan future strategies on this very important issue.
Click here for form.
Urge others to call their Senators, also! Our voices must be heard this week!
Peggy Hathaway
Vice-President for Public Policy
United Spinal Association
