If you or somebody in your family has a pre-existing condition, you’ll get help in 2010: Both the Senate and House bills will make it illegal for insurance companies to drop coverage for Americans who get sick. Insurance companies will also be barred from limiting the total benefits Americans can use over the course of a year or over their lifetimes. Affordable insurance coverage options will also be made immediately available through a high-risk pool for Americans who have been uninsured and have been denied coverage because they have a pre-existing condition. These options will serve as a bridge until the new health insurance marketplaces, or exchanges, are up and running.If you or your family has insurance, you'll get help in 2010: The scales will no longer be tipped against you in your relationship with your insurance company. More of your money will start going towards your care instead of excessive insurance company profits or TV ads. Between 2010 and 2013, insurance companies will be required to report the proportion of premium dollars that are spent in areas other than medical care – including profits. If a company isn’t spending enough of its premium dollars providing benefits, it will be required to issue rebate checks to its customers to make up the difference. Insurance companies will also immediately have to begin creating effective appeals processes for customers who have been denied claims ---including independent reviews---and the legislation provides grants for states to create ombudsmen to act as consumer watchdogs on health insurance coverage. If you want to keep your family from getting sick in the first place, you’ll get help in 2010: All insurance plans will have to begin covering preventive services. That means all Americans who purchase insurance on their own will receive preventive care from their doctor without paying a co-pay. If you’ve got kids, you’ll get help in 2010: Insurance plans that cover dependents will also have to provide benefits to adult children up to age 26, covering young Americans at a time when they’re most likely to lack coverage.If you’re an early retiree with coverage from your former employer, your premiums will be reduced: Employers and their retirees between 55 and 64 years of age will have lower premiums from new re-insurance helping to ensure the continuation of these essential benefits.If you’re a senior, you'll get help in 2010: Major help on prescription drug costs will begin kicking in, with dramatic reductions on the costs of brand name prescription drugs for seniors. In addition, the coverage gap, or “doughnut hole” in the Medicare Prescription Drug Program will be closed over the next few years. So as we come to the end of this debate, it’s important to take stock of what American families and small businesses will get from reform:· Reforms that will generate the largest deficit reduction in 12 years; Reforms that will rein in insurance companies and shift power to patients, doctors, nurses and American families. Reforms that will actually reduce premiums and save money for American families and small businesses; Reforms that will strengthen the financial health of Medicare while closing the prescription drug doughnut hole – the most significant boost to Medicare's solvency in more than a decade. Reforms that will make quality affordable health care available to tens of millions of Americans – the most significant action since Medicare.
If you or somebody in your family has a pre-existing condition, you’ll get help in 2010: Both the Senate and House bills will make it illegal for insurance companies to drop coverage for Americans who get sick. Insurance companies will also be barred from limiting the total benefits Americans can use over the course of a year or over their lifetimes. Affordable insurance coverage options will also be made immediately available through a high-risk pool for Americans who have been uninsured and have been denied coverage because they have a pre-existing condition. These options will serve as a bridge until the new health insurance marketplaces, or exchanges, are up and running.
If you or your family has insurance, you'll get help in 2010: The scales will no longer be tipped against you in your relationship with your insurance company. More of your money will start going towards your care instead of excessive insurance company profits or TV ads. Between 2010 and 2013, insurance companies will be required to report the proportion of premium dollars that are spent in areas other than medical care – including profits. If a company isn’t spending enough of its premium dollars providing benefits, it will be required to issue rebate checks to its customers to make up the difference. Insurance companies will also immediately have to begin creating effective appeals processes for customers who have been denied claims ---including independent reviews---and the legislation provides grants for states to create ombudsmen to act as consumer watchdogs on health insurance coverage.
If you want to keep your family from getting sick in the first place, you’ll get help in 2010: All insurance plans will have to begin covering preventive services. That means all Americans who purchase insurance on their own will receive preventive care from their doctor without paying a co-pay.
If you’ve got kids, you’ll get help in 2010: Insurance plans that cover dependents will also have to provide benefits to adult children up to age 26, covering young Americans at a time when they’re most likely to lack coverage.
If you’re an early retiree with coverage from your former employer, your premiums will be reduced: Employers and their retirees between 55 and 64 years of age will have lower premiums from new re-insurance helping to ensure the continuation of these essential benefits.
If you’re a senior, you'll get help in 2010: Major help on prescription drug costs will begin kicking in, with dramatic reductions on the costs of brand name prescription drugs for seniors. In addition, the coverage gap, or “doughnut hole” in the Medicare Prescription Drug Program will be closed over the next few years. So as we come to the end of this debate, it’s important to take stock of what American families and small businesses will get from reform:·
Health reform is good for Louisiana. Call your Member of Congress and encourage them to support health reform for real Louisiana families. http://bit.ly/CallMembesrofCongress
Join Organizing for America in your community. We need your help making the change we voted for become the reality we live. http://bit.ly/JoinOFA
Louisiana had one of its best phone bank days in recent weeks Thursday, as volunteers in Alexandria, Baton Rouge, Lake Charles, New Orleans, and Shreveport made over 1,200 calls to OFA supporters, encouraging them to contact members of Congress and join our Rapid Response Network. Momentum for reform is on the rise following a recent announcement from Senator Mary Landrieu that she supports the health insurance reform legislation being debated in the Senate. Noting that the Senate now has a historic opportunity to pass a healthcare bill, Senator Landrieu said:
“While many of us expressed cost and bureaucracy concerns about early drafts of health care reform legislation, it is clear that the product the Senate is debating is a dramatic improvement," Senate Democrats have developed a consensus that combines the best blend of private and public approaches to reduce cost, expand coverage and increase choice and competition for Americans," she added. "I look forward to moving this legislation forward before the holiday recess."
Senator Landrieu’s support of health reform is a demonstration of the power of grassroots organizing. Community Organizers in all Organizing for America-Louisiana regions have hosted over 150 phone banks and generated nearly 12,000 phone calls to supporters. Real people with real health care issues were able to reach out to members of Congress through phone calls and personal visits. Grassroots organizing took on the insurance lobby and millions of dollars of negative advertisements, and won. We won because family members spoke to other family members, neighbors spoke to other neighbors, and small business owners to other small business owners about the importance of taking action for health insurance reform now.
This peer led outreach helped spread the truth about reform and got Louisianans engaged. Though we are proud of this achievement, the battle is not over. The Senate still has work to do before finally passing health reform, and we need to make sure Senator Landrieu continues to hear from supporters. Also, in the near future, the House of Representatives will take a final vote on health insurance reform. Your role will be instrumental in helping to influence them.
Call Senator Landrieu and your member of Congress to make sure they stand tall for Louisiana families and support health reform. You can find contact information for your Member of Congress here: http://bit.ly/CallMembesrofCongress
To learn more about OFA in your community or to volunteer for your neighborhood team, please click here. http://bit.ly/JoinOFA
For the past six months, Organizing for America volunteers across Louisiana have organized for health insurance reform, making thousands to Members of Congress. Today, the hard work, dedication, phone calls and door to door canvassing all paid off, when by a vote of 220 to 215, the US House of Representatives passed the Affordable Healthcare for America Act. Now, the United States Senate will begin its work on final passage.
Today, OFA-Louisiana volunteers in North and Central Louisiana managed and attend phone banks, conducting neighbor to neighbor canvassing and encouraged supporters to make calls to Members of Congress.
In Shreveport, Anu K., Community Organizer, spent the day reaching out to supports in Shreveport and Bossier City.
"Yes we did! This is a historic first step towards true reform. It will provide much needed change in the way insurance companies do business, and end discrimination against people with preexisting conditions, women and young people. It is a beginning in affordable quality care for all. WOW! And thank you for all who worked so hard to get it passed.
Armed with her laptop coffee and a tall glass of Louisiana sweet tea, Katrina R. a Community Organizer in Shreveport made dozens of calls using a virtual phone bank.
“Tonight’s vote proves that regular American citizens can organize and defeat the multi-billion dollar lobbyists and special interest groups; change from the ground up. I’m ecstatic that we are closer than we’ve ever been to comprehensive health insurance reform. I know that we still have a battle ahead of us, but to see our hard work pay off is invaluable. Now let’s get Louisiana Senators to lead the charge in taking health reform to the next step."
Congress is done for now, but the Senate still has work to do. Contact your Senator and tell them to support the Obama Plan for Health Insurance Reform by clicking here.
To become a community organizer or join your neighborhood team, click here.
To find an event or activity near you, click here.
Volunteers across Louisiana have been engaging their communities, educating people about President Obama’s health care plan and urging supporters to call their member of Congress. On October 20, 2009, Louisiana took part in an OFA national movement to help make at least 100,000 calls to Congress and to especially let the Louisiana Congressional delegation know how important health insurance reform is in the state of Louisiana.
Leading the charge on October 20th were seven New Orleans retirees who made calls as part of a Senior-to-Senior phone bank. Becoming fast friends, the group shared stories from previous campaign phone bank experiences and rallied behind a common cause: to demonstrate that Louisiana seniors support the President’s health insurance proposal, including the public option.
After an orientation by New Orleans community organizer Lee Madere, the callers reached out to peers and dispelled health reform myths and encouraged others to call Congress. In just over two hours, the group made over 350 calls and got nearly 100 commitments. By the end of the day, Organizing For America blew past their national goal and finished the day with an astounding 314,000 calls to members of Congress.
“Watching the thermometer rise throughout the day was a thrill,” said Lee. “It’s great to know that Louisiana seniors we a part of helping the nation surpass 100,000 calls. We also realize the importance of being consistent and making calls every day. My team plans to get together again next week.”
It’s Time To Deliver for the thousands of Louisiana seniors will benefit from health insurance reform. We’re closer now than ever.
Contact your member of Congress and tell them to support the Obama Plan for Health Insurance Reform by clicking here.
Work as citizens wholeheartedly with passion and perserverance, along with determenation
In the end you wont be disappointed if you PUSH(Pray Until Something Happens)
Ominous chain emails and videos are starting to percolate on the internet, breathlessly claiming, for example, to "uncover" the truth about the President’s health insurance reform positions. There is a lot of misinformation, misunderstanding and misrepresentation being advanced by corporate interests, health insurance lobbyists and reactionary pranksters creating panic and outrage in a segment of our population that was already nervous about the idea of Change.
Let's help our president fight these smears like we did during the campaign. He has asked for our participation helping him get the country out of the mess it's in. If we want to keep our seat at the table of democracy, as Michelle Obama has said, we must not relinquish it for even a day, because someone with more power, with more money and without our best interests at heart is more than happy to come fill it for us.
President Obama may be the Michael Jordan of politics, but he still needs someone to pass the ball to. Join us in our efforts to pass health insurance reform and help our president in his ongoing efforts to bring Change to America. We started this together. Let's keep going!
Please report any lies about health care reform directly to the White House so that they may have the opportunity to fairly rebut them:
flag@whitehouse.gov
To get involved in Louisiana, contact our state director, Steven Walker at 504-376-3880.
Exuberance is a word I have not used for a long time. I don't remember when I felt this way. It is the Barack Obama presidency that has created this feeling. The White House is open to me. I know what the president is doing and what he is working on. President Obama wants us to help him by helping outselves. You, every one of you, must work in your own communities where help is needed. It could be as little as helping the elderly neighbor by visiting with a coffee cake and coffee. How about being a caregiver to some family member or some person who has no family member? Know your neighbors. Some need help and you don't know it if you don't know who lives around you.
How about walking dogs for your neighbor who has undergone surgery and can't get around? Or taking food to a friend who is wearing hats because she has no more hair due to chemo?
What about your brother who wants to live alone but has Huntington's Disease? He may knock things over at your house, but bring him over and feed him a special meal and watch a movie he would love. Calling him won't help because he kicks the phone off the hook and doesn't know it. You just have to show up and wait if he isn't there. Wait for him and take him to a restaurant where they understand his illness and will clean up the spilled iced tea and move us to another table without embarrassing him. He is dying and there is no cure, but his life can have quality.
Please find even the small things you can do with people you know. You don't have to paint someone's house or cut dry wall. You can do smaller and less strenuous, thoughtful things for those around you. Relatives and friends and neighbors.
Greetings! My name is Steven Walker, I'm the State Director for Organizing for America-Louisiana. The primary goals of Organizing for America are
Over the next several weeks, we will have Listening Tours and other opportunities for you to provide feedback and share your thoughts. I just wanted to take a quick moment to introduce myself and encourage you to all attend an informational conference call next Wednesday, May 20, 2009, from 7:00 - 8:00 pm. Please RSVP for the call by clicking this link:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/gpcpwh
In the coming days, there will be an official Organizing for America-Louisiana MyBO group, and I hope you each join that group to receive updates on our plans and activities here in Louisiana. I look forward to speaking with as many as you as possible on the phone next Wednesday, and meeting more of you in person over the coming weeks.
Steve Walker
OFA - Louisiana
walkers@dnc.org
832.724.3427
Having been involved in grassroots animal welfare/rescue/rights for 20+ years, I was one of those people who eagerly and anxiously awaited news on what Barack and Michelle were going to do in regards to adopting a puppy for Sasha and Malia. I was a lead dog, if you will, in pushing the idea that they should adopt a rescue and preferably a shelter dog. I was heartened by Barack's comments that HE really wanted to get a rough and tumble shelter dog. But! as usual I was careful to not just hear what I wanted to hear. I was acutely aware of the other issues President Obama laid out when discussing the new family member.
First, during the campaign, Barack always stated that he had promised the girls a puppy. A puppy. P.U.P.P.Y. Right off the bat, we knew this was going to rule out a whole lot of rescue dogs who tend to be older. This is fair enough for young girls getting their first dog. I got a puppy as a kid, too. There's something about being young and getting a young animal. You can relate to it. And you can grow up together. By the time I was 30, I started liking the idea of adopting adult dogs. They come pre-trained and you miss all that puppy teething, high energy bother.
Secondly, and really importantly, Malia has allergies, so her parents wanted to be sure she had a pet she could be close to and comfortable with. I won't argue whether or not hypo-allergenic breeds truly exist. Let's just agree that some breeds cause less allergic reactions than others. I know, for instance, that I am allergic to some cats. Not many. But occasionally I run across one that just makes me miserable. Anyway, this issue was a key issue in selection of the dog and rightly so. Consider if they chose a dog to find out later that it made Malia sick. One of three things would happen here and none of them good: Malia would have to suck it up and be miserable OR the dog would just have to not spend time with the family when Malia was present OR the dog would have to find a new home. This is a scenario that is not uncommon and all too often the dog ends up in a shelter or a back yard. (In fact, I know animals that were left behind in Katrina because a family member in the evacuation vehicle was allergic.)
Now, because of my involvement with the animal community and my involvement with the Obama campaign, people who are unhappy with the choice of Bo have felt it necessary to take this issue up with me and I have received a range of reactions from "I'm very disappointed" to "Obama broke another promise and killed a shelter dog". Well. As one who was calling for them to adopt a shelter dog, I understand a little disappointment. But I got over that pretty quickly. Look. The little guy, in my mind, IS a rescue. He didn't fit in with his first family, so he ended up with THE First Family. I hear all sorts of conspiracy theories about how this is a set up and the dog was really bred for the Obamas. I don't really buy that, but even if it were true... to harp on that would be to miss our opportunity as members of the animal welfare community. We can scream about conspiracy because we wanted a different outcome or because it feels good, but what message then are we sending when we have the platform to send a message... that this person most of our country really admires tricked us all so he could get a purebred... and if you're going to emulate him, well, then it's your turn to fake a need to get a purebred?
OR shall we point out to people the many things the first family did right in adopting a dog?
They planned ahead and waited to adopt until the family had time to train it and take care of it. They prepared the children for the responsibility that they all would need to share as they welcomed a new family member into their home. They did their research and found a breed that would suit their needs... regarding allergy issues, trainability, disposition, personality, space requirements and energy levels. They didn't go shopping around to breeders, but instead adopted an already 6 month old dog - which means half its puppihood has already passed. And they found the dog through a friend with whom they have a really close personal connection... and who has health issues of his own such that he may not be around for too long.
The standard put on this president for adopting a dog is beyond anything any other president has had to live up to pet-wise. He never promised to adopt a shelter dog, he said he hoped to get one. He advocated against puppy mills and by all accounts, this dog is not from a puppy mill. It appears to be from a responsible breeder. I won't argue whether or not responsible breeders truly exist. We will never get rid of "breeds" altogether. Dog people are forever going to like certain breeds or even need them for utilitarian purposes.
The pet overpopulation problem is not caused by breeders or breed lovers or President Obama. It is caused by unmanaged stray populations, puppy mills, irresponsible breeders and owners who do not spay/neuter their pets for reasons ranging from ignorance to laziness. Period. Dogs and cats are euthanized in the hundreds of thousands in this country because people don't know about the existing holocaust, or don't care, or because they let their animals roam freely thus allowing them to reproduce indescriminantly or land themselves with the dog catcher (which "displaces" whatever dog was previously in that kennel... a euphemism for euthanasia).
The Obamas did their due diligence and did the best they could... and didn't do half bad, I think. Give them a break. They are first time pet owners. They will learn more as they go. Like we all have had to do.
Let's shine a light on all the things they did RIGHT. Let's use this as a teaching moment instead of yet another time that the animal rights folks look like crazy zealots. I've lost enough battles and animals to know the pain of the trade. I face it everyday. But I won't blame our president for that. His family got a second hand dog that won't make their daughter sneeze or itch and made a donation to the Washington Humane Society. End of.
Welcome to your new home, Bo. May you live long and know great love.
Now let's let the president get back to solving this whole war/economy/environment thing... wherein human and non-human animals suffer and die everyday.
Hi Louisiana.Obama For America is now Organizing For America. The goals have shifted from getting Barack Obama elected to helping make sure his presidency is a success, both politically and policy-wise. You are still needed in this effort.Last week, Congress voted to pass our president's 2010 budget. Only 2 legislators from Louisiana helped to make that happen: Senator Mary Landrieu and Representative Charlie Melancon. We need help showing that Louisianan's care about how our members of congress vote.Could you please take a moment and send a letter to the editor of your local paper thanking Senator Landrieu (and congressman Melancon if you are in his district)? There is a great tool on MyBO to help make this really simple:http://my.barackobama.com/page/speakout/ThankCongressBelow I've attached some ideas for letters, but please write from your own heart. And thank you for continuing to support Barack Obama.Best,Lynda Below are a few ideas to guide your letter writing. Visit our website for more additional tips and information http://my.barackobama.com/page/speakout/ThankCongress LTE #1President Obama is talking to us like adults. He doesn’t sugarcoat his message or claim to have the silver bullet. Since taking office, he's encouraged us to be patient and persistent in charting our course - I think his words were, “more ocean liner than speed boat.”President Obama’s budget is big, but it’s a bold and important down payment on our long-term economic recovery here and across the nation.And that's why I applaud my congressional representative for voting in support of the President's plan to put our country back on the path to prosperity - a vote all of us can be proud of.
LTE #2I’m sick and tired of our bubble-driven economy. From the dot.com craze to the housing bubble, I know so many people who have been affected by the constant boom and bust that has made our economy unstable.President Obama’s budget plan takes on the challenges in our healthcare system, public education and energy policy – and aims to make those things operate better and more efficiently for people just like me here in my town.I agree with President Obama that now is the time to make significant investments to help our economy develop in a sustainable way, and provide real growth and services the people on Main Street need. And that's why I applaud my congressional representative for supporting President Obama's plan.
LTE#3I volunteered for President Obama’s campaign, was thrilled to watch his inauguration, and have been following the early months of his presidency.These days, all the pundits seem to talk about is President Obama’s budget plan. Is it too expensive? Is it too ambitious?I am happy to see that President Obama is engaging his supporters - the regular people who elected him to office – to help build grassroots support for his budget blueprint.Making healthcare more affordable, investing in education, and creating a safer, greener energy policy, are the changes we fought for during the election.And that's why I was so pleased to see my congressional representative vote in support of the President's plan and give him the help he needs to put a down payment on a more sustainable, economic future for all of us.
