July 30th, 2010 – Medicare Turns 45!

Let’s Protect it, Improve it, and Expand it to All!!!

Medicare's Birthday Since 1965, Medicare has become a national treasure by providing coverage to 45 million older Americans and Americans with disabilities.

For 45 years Medicare’s critics have warned of impending doom for the program but it always gets repaired. Here’s our suggested fix: eliminate the massive waste and expense caused by the private for profit insurance companies. Put the savings into Medicare–protect it, improve it, and expand it to all!”

Join Healthcare NOW! in making noise on the anniversary of Medicare, this July 30th, with single-payer Medicare for All advocates across the country.

FIND A RALLY NEAR YOU HERE!

It is unacceptable to bull doze cuts, privatization, or raising of the eligibility rate to our most critical social programs, especially when unemployment and financial insecurity are at record highs. Please join us on July 30th to tell Congress “Hands OFF Social Security and Medicare!”

We will be posting events planned around the country here. If you don’t see one near you, help organize one.

We are encouraging activists to get the message to their Member of Congress in a couple different ways:

1) Organize a rally in support of the anniversary of Medicare at their and lobby for them to sign on to this pledge. Tell them you will return on the anniversary of Social Security’s enactment, August 14th, to get their support. If you need a speaker for your rally contact PNHP at info@pnhp.org.

2) Start a post card campaign now in your Congressional District and deliver post cards on July 30th showing how many of their constituents support “No Cuts to Medicare, Medicaid or Social Security.” Download the postcard here. Let us know if you want us to send you some post cards (don’t forget to copy names and contact info from cards to continue organizing supporters in the future).

3) Write a letter to the editor using these guidelines for pressuring your Congress person (sample here).

4) Get media to come out to your event and be sure to write a press release (sample coming soon!)

5) Use these talking points about Social Security and Medicare to talk to your Member of Congress and the Media.

Read these important articles on the Deficit Commission and why we must fight:
America Speaks Back: The Effort to Gut Social Security and Medicare Takes a Hit
Facts on Medicare, Social Security, and the Deficit Commission
AmericaSpeaks–What is not on the program
Whacking the Old Folks
Has Obama created a Social Security ‘death panel’?
Don’t Confuse Pete Peterson’s Desire to Slash Medicare with the Goals of HealthCare Reform –Part 1
Wall Street Propaganda: Blame Social Security

For help and support, please contact HCN staff at 800-453-1305 or info@healthcare-now.org.

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PAST MEDICARE BIRTHDAY RALLIES

single-payer rally

Medicare: Made in America – DC Lobby Day and Rally

July, 30th, 2009, Washington, DC

Download the NEW flyer!
Download Transportation Guide
Find a bus going to DC near you! Updated daily.
Places to stay in DC (hotels, hostels, etc.)

Download the lobby materials for July 30

Other Events Around the Country for Medicare’s 44th Birthday

Schedule

Rally starts at 1 pm – 2 pm in the Upper Senate Park – Map Below

9am – 11:30 am Volunteers needed for morning drop to all Members of Congress.

New location to meet! WE WILL NO LONGER MEETING AT THE RAYBURN BUILDING IN THE MORNING. Volunteers for cupcake drop WILL BE MEETING AT:

The United Methodist Office at 100 Maryland Ave N (at the corner of 1st St NE and Maryland Ave NE next to the Supreme Court).

Cupcakes and lobby packets will be available for pick up starting at 9am. See you then!

Email info@healthcare-now.org if you plan to help with the morning lobby visits.

2pm onward – Activists will take to the hill for meetings with Members of Congress. If you need help in setting up a meeting with your Member, please email info@healthcare-now.org. Lobby materials will be available in the Judiciary Committee Room for pick up on the day of the meetings. They will be posted here shortly to download in advance.

3pm – 4pm – Briefing: State Based Single Payer Healthcare Reform and the Kucinich Amendment

We’ll explore the passage on Friday, July 17th, by Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-OH, in the House Education and Labor Committee, of the amendment that would allow the necessary federal ERISA waivers for states that pass and implement single payer healthcare plans for their citizens. The amendment will be considered as part of the Tri-Committee health reform bill as marked-up by two of the three committees of jurisdiction in the House. We will hear from Congressman Kucinich about the prospects for retaining the amendment in the final House bill.

2203 Rayburn House Office Building.

Map

Rally – Upper Senate Park – Constitution Ave NW between Delaware Ave NE and New Jersey Ave NW.

Meeting Place to Deliver Cupcakes – The United Methodist Office at 100 Maryland Ave N (at the corner of 1st St NE and Maryland Ave NE next to the Supreme Court).

View Medicare’s 44th Birthday Rally Locations in a larger map

Confirmed Speakers at Rally

Jos Williams – President , AFL-CIO Metropolitan Washington Council
Dr. David Scheiner – President Obama’s personal physician of 22 years
Sidney M. Wolfe, MD – Acting President of Public Citizen
Dr Margaret Flowers – Physicians for a National Health Program
Terry O’Neill – President, National Organization for Women
State Senator Ferlo – Pennsylvania State Senator
Sameer Dossani – Demand Dignity Campaign Director, Amnesty International
Barbara Ehrenreich – Feminist, sociologist, and political activist, and author of nearly 20 books including Nickled and Dimed
Congressman John Conyers
Congressman Dennis Kucinich
Congressman Eric Massa
Congressman Anthony Weiner
Senator Bernie Sanders
Jonathan Tasini – Candidate for US Senate Seat New York State
Medea Benjamin – Cofounder of Code Pink and Global Exchange
Tim Carpenter – Progressive Democrats of America, Executive Director
Donna Smith – Community Activist and Legislative Advocate, California Nurses Association, whose story of financial bankruptcy was featured in Michael Moore’s film, “SiCKO.”
Nadina LaSpina – Disabled in Action
Dr Ogan Gurel – Walked 700 miles from Chicago to DC for healthcare reform gathering stories along the way.

More Information

Celebrate Medicare’s 44th Birthday by showing Congress and President Obama the people, unions, doctors, nurses, seniors, faith groups, and Americans of every stripe support a single-payer system.

As President Obama says, “We must build on what works and leave out what doesn’t.” Medicare has
successfully provided care to seniors and people with disabilities for almost half a century. Medicare is a truly American-made system that other health care systems around the world have since been modeled after. With little over 3% administrative overhead, we must look to this American solution to our health care crisis.

The best way to save this system is to expand it and make it a truly single-payer system by removing the for-profit interests.

Polls consistently show that the public supports a Medicare for All system, and 59% of physicians support it. In the face of inadequate reform to our health care system, we want Congress to make sure our voice is heard.

The Leadership Conference for Guaranteed Health Care is launching a rally and lobby day on Thursday, July 30th in Washington DC with concurrent actions around the country to bring this message to Washington DC and the Congress.

The Rally and Lobby Day in DC are currently being planned and logistics will be announced soon.

We urge you and your organization to help support this important action in any of the following ways:

1) Cosponsor the event in DC by providing a donation to the effort or providing buses and/or accommodations for your members or supporters to join us for the day. Please complete the cosponsorship form below.

2) Provide a speaker for the rally planned in Washington DC.

3) Personally deliver a message to your Members of Congress on July 30th in DC and/or in the home district of your Representatives that you support expanding and improving Medicare for All.

4) Join the planning committee of this event to add support to the many things that must be done in preparation.

5) Donate to help fund the rally. Send checks to California Nurses Association National Nurses Organizing Committee, National Nurses Organizing Committee 888 16th St NW Suite 640 Washington, DC 20006, memo: July 30th

6) Download the flyer!

We look forward to hearing from you soon about how you would like to get involved!

Cosponsorship Form

cforms contact form by delicious:days

Send checks to California Nurses Association National Nurses Organizing Committee, National Nurses Organizing Committee 888 16th St NW Suite 640 Washington, DC 20006 memo: July 30th