Following an initiative born and bred in Madrid by DA members very concerned about helping President Obama prod Congress to come up with a respectable healthcare reform plan, we’d like to share this with DA Switzerland members and encourage you all to take action this week.

As we have learned from the DA Madrid Chapter Healthcare Reform Policy Letter Writing Campaign initiative, the timeline on the Organizing for America website shows the target date of July 31st for the House of Reps to produce and vote on a full healthcare reform plan. Therefore, it is imperative that you set aside 1 hour this week to draft (30mins) and send (30mins) your letter to your senators and congressional representatives in order to increase the pressure on them to minimally support the inclusion of the Obama administration's three goals of reducing costs, guaranteeing choice, and ensuring quality care for all Americans into the healthcare reform legislation that will be adopted.  Yes, America is going to get healthcare reform but it's up to each of us to make sure that it is meaningful reform.  So please send your letters this week.

Below are 3 very useful on-line tools to quickly and efficiently send your correspondence to members of Congress, the President and even to American news editors. At the bottom of this message, you will also find 2 sample letters, which may give you an idea on how to get started on your letters. We ask that at the start of your letters, you highlight your active membership in DA Switzerland and also the fact that you are registered to vote in the jurisdiction of the congress member to whom you are writing, as seen in the sample letter below.

Two final requests:

Please inform me, via email, when you have sent your letters so that we can have a total count of how many people have participated and sent letters from DA Switzerland Letter Writing Campaign. (chair@democrats.ch)

Also encourage your circle of friends to write to their senators and congressmen right away. (Feel free to pass on the 3 on-line tools for them to use.)

THREE ON-LINE TOOLSFOR LETTER WRITING CAMPAIGN 
 


1. Personalized Letters to Your Senators & Congressional Representatives via Their Official Webpages. 
To find out who your senators and state representatives are and get their official webpages, go to the following website and enter in the US zip code where you are registered to vote: www.congressmerge.com/onlinedb/. Then simply cut and paste your letter into the template on the senators or congressional reps' webpage to make your voice heard.  We encourage you to send your healthcare reform support letters even if you believe your senator is in agreement with healthcare reform because the more letters they get in support of healthcare reform the harder it will be for them to succumb to the opposition.
 


2. Personalized Letters to the President and to newspaper editors via Organizing for America Healthcare Action Center Website.
 There, you can pledge your support for healthcare reform and then cut and paste your personalized letter supporting healthcare reform to both President Obama as well as access a link to send letters to various national, regional and local editors of American newspapers. Again, you will need your voting state postal code. (http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/health-care-action-center/)
 


3. On-Line Petition Supporting a Public Healthcare Reform Option. 
On this website, you can sign a petition supporting a public healthcare option for healthcare reform which will be sent to the senators in the state in which you are registered to vote. (http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/public_option/?r_by=4564-1917584-3IulBKx&rc=confemail)
 


SAMPLE LETTER FROMDA MADRID CHAPTER

The Honorable Dianne Feinstein

United States Senate

331 Hart Senate Office Building

Washington, DC 20510-0504

May 18, 2009

Dear Senator Feinstein:

I am an active member of Democrats Abroad Madrid Chapter, who is registered to vote in Alameda County, CA and am writing to express my strong desire for you to support healthcare reform legislation that is aligned with the Obama Administration's goals of:  1) assuring affordable health coverage for all Americans; 2) ending barriers for pre-existing medical conditions; 3) maintaining coverage during job changes; 4) investing in prevention and wellness; 5) improving patient safety and quality of care; 6) reducing long term costs to business and government; 7) protecting families from bankruptcy because of excessive healthcare costs; and 8) guaranteeing choice of doctors and health plans.

I personally know the value of having affordable and adequate healthcare coverage after having worried about the possibility of needing to file for bankruptcy in California when my late husband was fighting lung cancer (and also witnessing my bestfriend and her husband recently go bankrupt in Texas because of his extremely expensive cancer treatments, which thank God saved his life).  Currently, I am an active member of the Democrats Abroad Madrid Chapter and my experience living in Spain, a country which has national healthcare for everyone (both citizens and non-citizens), has made me support healthcare reform back home inthe USA even more strongly than I did before. 

As you may well know, the national healthcare system in Spain is supported by national income taxes and patients never have to pay anything when they are seen by doctors andother providers in the system.  I get my annual physical check-ups and other acute care right at the medical clinic in my neighborhood, which is a modern facility just 5 minutes walk from my house in Madrid.  If I have to see a specialist, I get a referral from my primary care physician (PC) at the neighborhood clinic to go to one of the specialist centers, which are located around Madrid and accessible by public transportation.  Not too long ago when I sprained my ankle, I was able to see my PC as a walk-in patient with an urgent need and later that day I was seen at a specialist center for an x-ray and treatment.  The next day, I was given a doctors' note form from my PC to fax to my job for disability leave, which ended up lasting 3-weeks in total.  I was able to fully recovered without worrying because I received full pay directly from my job while I was off on disability without having to file any additional forms with the Spanish government because once an employee faxes the official doctors' note form to his employer, the Spanish national healthcare system allows for the government to send the funds to the company to cover the employee's pay while on disability.  I also have friends here in Spain who have had to have more extensive care in the national healthcare system like maternity care as well as long term in-patient cancer treatments, which were all at NO charge to the patient.  While no system is perfect (for example, Spain's national healthcare does not include dental or optometry coverage), it is imperative for countries that want to call themselves civilized to ensure that all inhabitants have preventative and both short and long term healthcare available to them.  Just as Americans value public education for all, we also need to value and support public healthcare for all.  I, like many other Americans living abroad, worry about one day returning home and not being able to get healthcare insurance because of a pre-existing condition that may have arisen while living outside of the USA foran extended period.

I also want to make mention that there are private healthcare insurance options here in Spain, which some companies offer employees and/or individuals with the financial means can elect to purchase as additional healthcare coverage in the private healthcare system (without forfeiting national healthcare coverage).  Infact, a number of pregnant women that have both options use their national healthcare coverage for all routine maternity wellness check-ups/tests and also for their delivery, while simultaneously using their private healthcare coverage to visit a private practice whenever they have an unexpected worry during their pregnancy.  Often, these pregnant women are seeing the same practitioner because doctors in Spain are able to work in the national healthcare system while also maintaining private practices.  So, many of the fears that Americans have about losing choice with a national healthcare program do not have to be a reality because both systems can co-exist.

In closing, I hope that sharing my personal experience and convictions about healthcare reform will inspire you to formulate and support effective healthcare reform legislation for all Americans.  Finally, I would appreciate hearing what your position on this issue and want to thank you and your staff for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Kelly T. (INCLUDE YOUR FULL NAME AND ADDRESS)

Madrid

SPAIN

SAMPLE LETTER FROM DA VANCOUVER CHAPTER

[DATE]

Dear [Editor/Representative/Senator],

Repairing the US health care system is vital to the overall economic health of our country.  I am hopeful that Congress will approve a public health insurance plan this year. 

I strongly support a national affordable and accessible public health care plan available to all American citizens and permanent residents- whether employed or unemployed, whether in good health or poor health -  that also allows movement between states.

Private insurers have demonstrated that their business plans put profit ahead of health care.  The ten largest publicly traded insurers saw profits increase 420% between 2000 and 2007. This is more than four times the rate of cumulative wage growth. At the same time, denial of care for pre-existing conditions is still standard industry policy. Private insurers cannot be entrusted with critically needed health care reform, due to inherent conflicts between profit-based business goals and timely, affordable and accessible health care for all who need it.

With more and more Americans losing their jobs and their health benefits, an affordable sliding-scale public plan will help them weather both their financial and their health problems. 

As a registered voter in [STATE, CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT #] presently living in Canada, I have an affordable health care plan under the public Canadian system that permits my choice of doctors, and gives unlimited access to basic medical services regardless of employment status or prior health conditions.  Paying a modest annual premium has been the only paperwork or payment required for basic health services.

The time is ripe for comprehensive, bipartisan health carereform. Congress must act now to ensure that people receive the care they need without penalty for poor health.  Studies have shown that a reformed system could lower the actual cost of health services, in part by streamlining bureaucratic channels.  At present, approximately half of all personal bankruptcies are due to rising medical costs.  Healthier people who do not face bankruptcy over their health needs will also have more money to pump back into the economy. Health care reform is a win-win for all Americans.  I urge you to support the administration’s efforts.

[Name]

Registered to vote in [CITY, ZIPCODE]

[RESIDENCE ADDRESS]