Health Cost Reform - Town Hall

Health Care - what to do at your local town hall meeting:

If you are an official:

Don't answer the question in the way it is put to you. Take each question as an opportunity to make a point you want to make. (remember that for the last eight years, no matter what the question, the Republicans made a negative comment about Democrats whenever they had a microphone or camera pointed at them)

Never throw away your media opportunities to frame an issue - never!

Frame it:

Health Cost Reform (not Health Care Reform or Health Insurance Reform)

People like their health care - but not the cost, therefore "health care reform" is not a good framing of the issue. "Health insurance reform" makes democrats angry because many of us do not want Insurance reform - we want an option that does not include Insurance companies.

Your Town Hall Poster:

Classic Bush fear mongering! (poster idea)


Ways to dissipate the angry and the fake questions:

"fluoridation was once considered a communist plot"

"We must put "health cost reform" at the top of our priorities - we can do this - we must do this!"

"we cannot continue to worship self-regulation"

"the current system is corporate welfare"

"insurance companies are killing our citizens"

"insurance companies are constantly cheating our elderly"

"8 years of Republican spending created this train wreck deficit"

"Deficit?! - hey - Train wreck brought to you by George Bush Jr."

"Lets not confuse the issues - the Bush Hangover was caused by an all Republican fear blitz and self-regulated greed"

Share your stories:

$146,000 For The Birth Of Our Son.

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Our son was born with relatively few complications. My wife had a mild level of preclampsia that was monitored for 7 days while we tried to induce a natural birth. This did not work and the birth was cesarean. Total bill: $146,000.00. later negotiated down to $96,000. That's roughly $90,000 more than any other country in the world for the same service.

House calls and reasonable health care
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I was recently in France where I had a rough bout with sciatica. I could not move and had to call a doctor - it was Sunday. He arrived 40 minutes later, gave me a shot, a prescription and everything total was 92 euro.
If this had happened in the US, the Bill would be above $8,000.00. Given that we were on the 4th floor and the elevator could not handle more than 2 people, the ambulance would require several people to carry me down the stairs (Our doctors don't do house calls). The emergency room charges are through the roof and the shot and drug charges alone would be 3 times the total in France.
Why we fear change so much is beyond my comprehension - but we are among the most change resistant countries in the world. Bought and paid for by the corporate interests and the horrendous fear of words like "socialism".
It really is time for total change in our political campaign system - and I mean total change.
Our officials are owned by the Corporate Interests.


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Bring your story of our unfair and expensive health care system or ask it as though you have one - make it personal:

Here are some great story / questions (use them):

• All nations with national health care systems offer extra insurance coverage by private insurance companies - does this new health care system also offer these choices?
  
• "My best friends parents recently filed for Bankruptcy as a result of their health problems and the insurance companies policies. This is the leading cause of Bankruptcy. They had full insurance all of their lives, worked and paid taxes all of their lives. Will the new health cost program stop the insurance companies from cheating our citizens out of continued health care at a reasonable cost? Cheating them out of their life savings?
  
• "I was recently in Estonia and was shocked to find out that our infant mortality rates are worse than theirs - we have the highest infant mortality rate among modern countries. How will the new health cost reform improve our current corporate owned health care system?"
• Do Veterans hate the VA hospitals? I have heard the VA hospitals are among the best in the world - aren't they run by the government?
• Ronald Reagan increased the national deficit by 700 percent, George Bush Jr. took a 3.5 Trillion Dollar surplus and left a train-wreck of debt in his wake. We will be dealing with the Bush Hangover for years - explain how this health cost reform will help cure the hangover?
• I don't hate our military, I don't hate the post office or our highway system or public schools or the constitution - why should I hate public health care for all citizens?
  
• The United States has more buying power than any other country in the world, yet we refuse to get the best pricing on drugs and health services - will the new health cost reform unleash our ability to drive down prices and complete with the rest of the world?
• Why are insurance companies working so hard to kill this reform? Do you think it is because their profits have quadrupled in the last 9 years?

Please post your stories and the questions you would ask.
Also - if any of you have any ideas how we can motivate Democrats to do anything, let me know! I cannot understand where they have gone - the need to step up to the plate and help their country and their president - but they are no where to be found.