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FEDERAL DAILY ACTION: Monday, July 17, 2017 THE CALL–ADVOCATE FOR A BIPARTISAN EFFORT TO REPAIR THE ACA


CALL: Senator Marco Rubio (202-224-3041 or 904-398-8586);

Senator Bill Nelson (202-224–5274 or 904-346-4500).

 

The delayed vote on Senate GOP’s new ACA-repeal bill, the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA), represents an opportunity for Republicans to abandon their partisan obsession with dismantling the ACA and instead partner with Democrats to shore up the law. One major Republican critique of the ACA has been that the individual insurance markets are unstable and have increasingly high premiums. However, all analyses of these markets have shown that the markets are stable overall and that consumers have largely been shielded from premium increases thanks to tax subsidies. In fact, most of the instability of the insurance markets have stemmed from insurance company uncertainty about whether Republicans will continue paying the cost-sharing reductions that allow them to insure sicker people at lower cost. Healthcare spending has also slowed under the ACA, and people have objectively benefited from increased access to healthcare, especially preventive services.

The Senate repeal bill actually maintains much of the ACA’s structure while cutting things like premium subsidies and funding for Medicaid expansion. Instead of trying to adopt a worse version of the ACA, Republicans should work with Democrats to implement a package of ACA fixes, from insurance market stabilization to negotiation of lower pharmaceutical costs, that would preserve (and even increase) access to affordable health insurance while still containing healthcare spending. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has already called on Trump to meet with Democrats to find a bipartisan way forward. Now, it’s on Republicans to do the right thing and shift their focus from repealing the ACA to fixing the ACA.

Sample Script:
Hi, my name is [NAME] and I’m a constituent from Saint Augustine.

[IF REPUBLICAN]: I’m calling to encourage Senator Bill Nelson to abandon their ACA repeal efforts and instead advocate for a bipartisan approach to healthcare reform. The majority of Americans want the ACA repaired, not replaced, and it makes far more sense to repair the existing bill than to replace it with a law that introduces a host of new problems while fixing none of the current problems.

[IF DEMOCRAT]: I’m calling to encourage Senator Bill Nelson to pursue a bipartisan effort to repair the ACA. The Republican plan to repeal the ACA is cruel and unacceptable, and the best way forward for the American people is to find a way to fix the ACA’s problems than introduce new ones.

Thank you for your hard work answering the phones.

[IF LEAVING A VOICEMAIL: please leave your full street address to ensure your call is tallied]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/…/joe-biden-as-a-nation-we…/…

Perspective | Joe Biden: Americans decided health care is for all. The GOP wants to roll that back.
Their plan would once again make it a privilege for the wealthy.
WASHINGTONPOST.COM
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FEDERAL DAILY ACTION: Friday, July 14, 2017 THE CALL–Demand that your senators push for a bipartisan solution to the problem of how to fix the ACA.


CALL: Senator Marco Rubio (202-224-3041 or 904-398-8586); Senator Bill Nelson (202-224–5274 or 904-346-4500).

 

 

The delayed vote on Senate GOP’s new ACA-repeal bill, the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA), represents an opportunity for Republicans to abandon their partisan obsession with dismantling the ACA and instead partner with Democrats to shore up the law. One major Republican critique of the ACA has been that the individual insurance markets are unstable and have increasingly high premiums. However, all analyses of these markets have shown that the markets are stable overall and that consumers have largely been shielded from premium increases thanks to tax subsidies. In fact, most of the instability of the insurance markets have stemmed from insurance company uncertainty about whether Republicans will continue paying the cost-sharing reductions that allow them to insure sicker people at lower cost. Healthcare spending has also slowed under the ACA, and people have objectively benefitted from increased access to healthcare, especially preventive services.
The Senate repeal bill actually maintains much of the ACA’s structure while cruelly cutting things like premium subsidies and funding for Medicaid expansion. Instead of trying to adopt a worse version of the ACA, Republicans should work with Democrats to implement a package of ACA fixes, from insurance market stabilization to negotiation of lower pharmaceutical costs, that would preserve (and even increase) access to affordable health insurance while still containing health care spending. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has already called on Trump to meet with Democrats to find a bipartisan way forward. Now, it’s on Republicans to do the right thing and shift their focus from repealing the ACA to fixing the ACA.
Your script:
Hi, my name is [NAME] and I’m a constituent from [CITY STATE ZIP CODE].
[IF REPUBLICAN]: I’m calling to encourage Senator [NAME] to abandon his or her ACA repeal efforts and instead advocate for a bipartisan approach to healthcare reform. The majority of Americans want the ACA repaired, not replaced, and it makes far more sense to repair the existing bill than to replace it with a law that introduces a host of new problems while fixing none of the current problems.
[IF DEMOCRAT]: I’m calling to encourage Senator [NAME] to pursue a bipartisan effort to repair the ACA. The Republican plan to repeal the ACA is cruel and unacceptable, and the best way forward for the American people is to find a way to fix the ACA’s problems than introduce new ones.
Thank you for your hard work answering the phones.
[IF LEAVING A VOICEMAIL: please leave your full street address to ensure your call is tallied]

Posted on

Thursday, July 13, 2017 THE CALL–Demand that your senators oppose the BCRA’s intent to defund Planned Parenthood, reduce Medicaid coverage for maternity care, and other “economies” that would potentially harm women’s health.


CALL: Senator Marco Rubio (202-224-3041 or 904-398-8586)

Senator Bill Nelson (202-224–5274 or 904-346-4500).

 

 

 

YOUR ACTION: Defend women’s health by demanding that your senators vote no on any healthcare bill that imposes barriers to access and financial penalties on women because of their gender.

Given that the Senate’s ACA-repeal bill, the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA), was drafted entirely by Republican men, it is hardly surprising that the bill harms women’s health in myriad ways. First, the bill would stop federal funding for Planned Parenthood for a year, even though the Hyde Amendment already prohibits allocation of federal dollars to abortion care. Defunding Planned Parenthood would cause thousands of people, particularly in areas with healthcare provider shortages, to lose access to crucial preventive services like cancer prevention and prenatal care.
The bill also contains multiple other provisions that undermine access to maternity care. The BCRA will allow states to opt out of the requirement that exchange plans must cover ten essential health benefits, including maternity care and contraceptive access. Employers will also no longer be required to cover maternity care, as the bill eliminates the requirement that large employers offer insurance that meets specific standards. Attacks on Medicaid funding would further reduce coverage for maternity care, as nearly half of births in the US are currently paid for by Medicaid, and more than 25 million women are insured through Medicaid. The bill even allows states to impose work requirements on Medicaid recipients that would allow them to force mothers to find work within 60 days of giving birth.
Finally, the bill prevents people from using tax credits to buy exchange plans that cover abortion services. Reproductive rights advocates argue that this provision will dissuade insurance companies from providing abortion coverage, even in employer-sponsored plans. This provision is also thought to violate the Byrd Rule, which prohibits the Senate from using the reconciliation process (i.e. a filibuster-proof voting process where legislation can pass with a simple majority) to pass any policy changes that do not directly affect the budget.
Women are half of this country’s population and deserve a healthcare bill that does not punish them for their gender.

Your script:
Hi, my name is [NAME] and I’m a constituent from [CITY STATE ZIP CODE]
I’m calling to urge Senator [NAME] to oppose any provision in the Better Care Reconciliation Act which would harm women by defunding Planned Parenthood, rolling back Medicaid coverage, and allowing insurers to stop covering maternity care services and contraceptive access. Women should not face financial penalties and barriers to healthcare access simply because of their gender.
[OPTIONAL: Share a story about how the BCRA would harm you or women in your life.]
Thank you for your time.
[IF LEAVING A VOICEMAIL: please leave your full street address to ensure your call is tallied]
[IF YOUR REP’S VOICEMAIL IS FULL]: Use Resistbot. You don’t need a smartphone, just a text-capable mobile phone. Open the app you use to text. On many phones it’s called messages. In the phone number, or “To:” field, type 50409, and in the message body, resist. Send that message and you’re in. Follow the app’s directions.

The Senate’s New Health Care Bill Makes It More Expensive to Be a Woman
Slashing funding means slashing coverage.
TIME.COM