Twenty people came to the Organizing for America Healthcare Reform Kickoff house meeting I hosted yesterday. I only regret I forgot to take photos. What an amazing group! Nobody seemed to mind the tight fit of my small condo. We were too busy sharing stories about the need for reform.
One woman shared the full time job it was getting her mother into long term care. "As a single woman, who will do that for me when it's my turn? We need an easier system." A young 25-year-old said "I have had Type I Diabetes my whole life. Yet, I've never worried about my health - only my healthcare coverage." One college graduate, in spite of a full-time job, spends $500 a month on private insurance.
Clara, 80-years-old discussed the donut hole in medicare...the gap between what is covered and what is not covered. "I thankfully have a pharmacist who helps me know which drugs to ask the doctor to prescribe to save me money. I thank her with lottery tickets...but why can't my doctor be prescribing the least expensive options? What would I do if I didn't have a good relationship with pharmacist?"
What amazed me is that so many people attended this meeting. Different ages; different stories; one goal: pass healthcare reform NOW. I can't remember the last time a newly elected president called on supporters to continue their involvement through service and civic engagement. We are honored to answer that call and work for the best policy possible.
We will keep meeting and keep working until Obama's healthcare reform is passed. All agree this is the year - we can no longer afford to sit back and let congress do its work. WE must be our own best lobbyists and stay as active as we were during the campaign.
We will meet again June 14. See events. We are planning a video library project of healthcare stories. Please contact me if you have experience with video editing. We want to capture stories from around Denver. michelle.joy@comcast.net
Thank you all!
