The work of the 112th Congress has begun and high on the agenda of the House of Representatives is the repeal of health care reform. This edition of eNews will focus on the reports about the repeal bill and the estimated costs of repeal — and what we can be doing.
On this week’s Faithful Reform conference call, we were reminded that actual repeal will probably not happen because the Senate is not likely to pass a repeal bill, and the President surely would not sign such a bill. However, de-funding and dismantling the Affordable Care Act piece by piece is a very real threat because of the fiscal mood of many lawmakers in both Washington and in our state houses.
We also were reminded on the call that while the opposition has not stopped raising their voices, supporters have been relatively quiet. That is predictable because anger is much more motivating than hope. We have to change that! It’s time to re-claim our voices and raise messages of hope and support about the provision in health care reform that contribute to health and wellness for all of us.
In this eNews & Notes:
New website & Facebook page to promote "What I Like about Health Care Reform" petition
Link to recording of this week’s conference call: Repeal, Lies, and Action
Repeal vote scheduled for Wed., Jan 12th
Letter to Congress from HHS Secretary summarizes implementation efforts and highlights freedome in health care choices
State-by-state analysis of the cost of repeal
CBO analysis says repeal will add to federal deficit
New website & Facebook page launched:
"What I Like about Health Care Reform"
As a gift to the broader advocacy community, Faithful Reform in Health Care has launched a new website and Facebook page – What I Like about Health Care Reform – to help demonstrate public support for the provisions of health care reform that will be lost if repeal efforts are successful.
The website features the petition that will be delivered to members of Congress and state lawmakers at an appropriate time. View the new website and sign the petition today and ask your family and friends to sign on, as well. (If you’re not sure whether you signed this petition previously, just sign again. Any duplicates will be sorted out!)
The Facebook page provides another tool for sharing information about reform’s benefits and building viral support for the many ways in which health care reform contributes to our vision of system of health care that is inclusive, affordable, accessible and accountable.
Conference Call Recording
This week’s conference call for faith leaders featured three speakers. If you missed the call, you may access the recording via phone or the web. Download the recording or call 1-218-936-4703, code 851673 (not toll-free).
Professor Timothy Jost, Washington and Lee University School of Law; consumer representative to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners
Angie Drobnic Holan, writer & researcher for PolitiFact.com and the St. Petersburg Times, author of the 2009 and 2010 Lies of the Year – "government takeover of health care" and "death panels" (See PolitiFact, FactCheck, Media Matters, and Snopes for fact-checking resources.)
Reva Price, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi’s office – perspectives from inside the Capitol, including a reminder that voices of support are not being heard!
In the News & on the Web
Representative Eric Cantor introduced 2-page bill to repeal all of health care reform, as reported in Politico. The House will vote on the bill on Wednesday, January 12th.
Secretaries Sebelius, Solis, and Geithner sent a letter to update members of Congress on the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, highlighting how it provides more freedom in health care choices.
The cost of repealing health care reform is available on HealthCare.gov, with detailed information for every state.
The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office has determined that repealing the health care reform law would increase the federal deficit, reduce protections for policy holders, increase premium costs for many in the individual private market, lock some out people out altogether, and increase the number of persons with no insurance. Kaiser Family Foundation reportJonathan Cohn’s summary
