This election year is of vital importance for the Affordable Care Act. We must redouble our efforts to educate the public about the benefits of the law and the threat to Medicare, Medicaid, and other health care programs. Here are some resources about what your organization can and can’t do legally, messaging tips, talking points, and other information that will help you in your efforts. Please bookmark this page. We will be adding new materials throughout the year.
Discussions continue about the similarities between Massachusetts Health Reform (aka: RomneyCare) and the Affordable Care Act (aka: ObamaCare). See our brief on those similarities - RomneyCare and ObamaCare. (January 2012)
Republican Vice Presidential Pick Paul Ryan
What does the choice of Rep. Paul Ryan, Chairman of the House Budget Committee and architect of recent Republican budget proposals, say about Romney’s priorities? What would their election mean for health care consumers?
Medicaid Block Grants: You Can Put Lipstick on a Pig, but... (Bruce Lesley, President of First Focus, September 2012)
Top Four Health Care Facts to Know about Paul Ryan (Stand Up for Health Care Blog, August 2012)
Deficit-Reduction Package that Lacks Significant Revenues Would Shift Very Substantial Costs to States and Localities (Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, August 2012)
Ryan Roundup: Everything You Need to Know About Chairman Ryan’s Budget (Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, August 2012)
Republicans Again Propose Slashing Funding for Medicaid, Medicare, and Other Health Programs (Families USA, April 2012)
The House Republican Budget Harms Americans of All Ages (Families USA, March 2012)
Jobs at Risk: Federal Medicaid Cuts Would Harm State Economies (Families USA, June 2011)
Ryan's Budget: So Extreme Even a Conservative Could Oppose It (Stand Up for Health Care Blog, May 2011)
House Republicans Propose to Slash Funding for Medicaid, Medicare, and Other Health Coverage Programs (April 2011)
Nonprofits and Election Year Activity
Election Activity is a page on the Alliance for Justice website with a rich array of resources on election laws and how they apply to nonprofits.
Of special interest:
Messaging Tips
The Herndon Alliance website offers tips on messaging about the new health care law and reports on the polling and focus group work that inform those tips.
Talking Points
To Republicans: Don't Balance the Budget through Medicaid Cuts lays out reasons why Congress shouldn't trade defense spending cuts for cuts to the Medicaid program. These defense cuts are part of the automatic spending cuts that will take effect January 2013 as part of the deficit reduction deal. (Families USA, August 2012)
Republican Primaries
All the Republican presidential candidates support repeal of the Affordable Care Act. This series of state fact sheets explains the consequences of repealing the law and making drastic structural changes in Medicare and Medicaid. Georgia l Arizona l Michigan l Minnesota l Missouri l Colorado l Nevada l Florida l South Carolina l New Hampshire l Iowa (Families USA, January-February, 2012)
