| The latest news from and for state health care advocates |
November 2009 |
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In This Issue:
Buzz around the States
Virginia Organizing Project emphasizes the importance of rural organizing with a very moving video.
An Illinois woman turned footage of the rude behavior of tea partiers at a town hall meeting into an advocacy video that is now being used by leading health care groups in the state.
California is holding Countdown to Change rallies to encourage the Senate to follow the House’s lead and pass meaningful health reform.
Take Action Minnesota launched a Thanksgiving Twitter campaign for all those Minnesotans who support health reform, asking them to tweet thankful health reform messages during the week leading up to Thanksgiving.
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States in Focus
Ohio Advocates Secure Key Vote for Health Reform
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In Cincinnati, key health care advocates’ relationship with Driehaus’ office was mutually beneficial and will continue to help the community. Their efforts helped Driehaus realize that in the future he would have support from important leaders as well as the larger community. This support will make it that much easier for him to vote “yes” now and in the future.
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The passage of the Affordable Health Care for America Act on November 7 was a major victory in the health reform movement. To get to the 218 votes needed for passage, many Representatives, especially those representing more conservative districts, had to make a difficult decision. Freshman Representative Steve Driehaus, from the first district of Ohio, faced this challenge and voted “yes” with confidence, thanks in part to the support of UHCAN Ohio.
The first district of Ohio is an historically conservative district, so the advocates at UHCAN Ohio knew Rep. Driehaus would face some strong opposition in his support of the health reform bill. They developed a two-fold campaign, working with both the grasstops and grassroots communities. It was key for their organization to have a close working relationship with Rep. Driehaus and his staff. Col Owens, Board member of UHCAN Ohio and Co-Chair of Ohio Consumers for Health Coverage, already had a long-standing relationship with Driehaus, which he continued to cultivate. Other health care advocates also had open lines of communication with district staff, setting up meetings and forums, along with making it known to Driehaus and his staff that they took his concerns seriously and addressed them in a clear way.
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But their efforts did not stop there. They took their campaign out into the field to make sure Driehaus knew his constituents supported health reform. Project Director Kathleen Gmeiner points to several campaigns including letter to the editor drives; call-in days; outreach to the faith community; and a massive postcard project—over 1200 postcards were sent around the state of Ohio demanding Congress to “Fix it Now.” Over 300 postcards were sent from Driehaus’ district alone, and UHCAN Ohio made sure each one was sent from an individual Ohioan.
In the end, Rep. Driehaus voted in favor of the House health bill. Kathleen and Col explained that their work has garnered much more than just a “yes” vote.
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While the end is in sight for federal reform, every detail is certainly not clear or set in stone. States with short legislative sessions should start planning how federal reform will play a role in their legislative sessions next year. Judi Hilman suggests starting an honest and real conversation between the community and legislature now, as she did in Utah.
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Utah Prepares for a Legislative Session in a New World of Health Reform
As state groups prepare for the legislative session next year, there is an obvious elephant in the room—federal health reform. With details about the health reform bill changing on a regular basis and final passage still uncertain, groups are finding that health reform is a difficult challenge to tackle.
The Utah Health Policy Project (UHPP) took on this challenge. Fall is a time of planning for UHPP as they analyze what their top priorities will be for the upcoming legislative session. But after a year when most of the focus has been on federal reform that is still not finalized, what does this mean for states entering 2010 legislative sessions? UHPP decided to take that question to the people and facilitate a broader discussion between consumers, providers, small business owners, legislators, and advocates about a plan for moving forward.
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Judi Hilman, Executive Director of UHPP, said that a key component to the meetings was to be honest and open with attendees about the state of reform. According to Judi, now is the time to start real conversations with key allies about important pieces of reform. Judi explains that educating communities about health reform will help them prepare to implement and enhance federal reforms at the state level. UHPP continues to tackle questions from advocates about what they can do during the legislative session and between sessions.
Although for some it may seem early to have this conversation, Judi argues that they do not have time to waste. With a short 45-day legislative session, Utah does not have the luxury of waiting to find out what health reform will be. These early conversations will enable them to act based on what they know even as federal timelines remain unclear.
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Grassroots advocacy can take many shapes. Sometimes the advocacy that members appreciate the most is public acknowledgment that they did the right thing. Most of the members of Congress who were on the fence about voting in support of reform were nervous freshmen members or others vulnerable in the 2010 elections. With many members of Congress fearing a tough reelection bid in 2010, letting them know they are supported can be the most effective form of advocacy.
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Americans Show Gratitude to Members for Momentous Vote
On November 7, many members of Congress showed courage by voting “yes” on the House health care bill, America's Affordable Health Choices Act. In response, groups from all over the country took time out to thank their members for supporting this historic vote. Whether it was with a letter to the editor of their local newspaper, phone calls, or events, residents in states across the nation reached out and showed their gratitude.
In New Jersey, many gathered at events to thank Representatives Frank Pallone, Jr. and Rush Holt. In nearby New York, in addition to individual rallies across the state, members of Citizen Action NY held a rally in New York City thanking all members of the New York Delegation for their support. Another large event was hosted by the Virginia Organizing Project, where many gathered to thank Representative Periello at his Martinsville office. “We came here today to stand together for health care reform and to thank Tom Perriello for his vote,” said Lou Gregory from Smith Mountain Lake. Other events were held in states including North Carolina, California, Wisconsin, Iowa, and many more.
Thousands across the country took time to make sure their Representative knows that their vote was important and appreciated by constituents. If you have not thanked your member, please take a few minutes to write a letter (you can use our letter-writing tool) or call them at 1-800-828-0498 to show your support—remember, there are more crucial health care votes to come.
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The importance of getting a letter to the editor (LTE) into your local newspaper cannot be understated. LTEs serve as public displays of support for health care reform or any issue you work on and are essential for continuing the positive dialogue in local media outlets. Families USA has a series of template LTEs that you can use to send to your local paper. Always add a personal or specialized touch to your letter to increase the chances of getting it published.
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New Resources from Families USA and Stand Up for Health Care
Contributing authors: Kate Blocher, Mark Fisher, Lydia Gottesfeld
What would you like to see in the State Health Beat? Contact Lydia Gottesfeld to share your thoughts and opinions.
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