Health Care Reform Tool Kit
Health insurance reform is one of the most important topics of our day - from our perspective, it's the civil rights issue of our time.
We all know that health care cost is the No. 1 issue at the bargaining table, one that takes energy and resources away from wages, pensions and other important issues.
Our online tool kit is updated often to provide you with the latest information and resources so you can be educated and engaged in this important fight.
Take Action
The U.S. Senate could vote on health insurance reform within days. Working families have some serious concerns about the Senate proposal and it's important Senators hear directly from you about these issues. Click here to get informed about what needs to be fixed in the Senate bill, then please take a moment to fax, call or e-mail your Senator today.
Here are some other things you can do right now:
- Take a moment to find out how your member of Congress voted on the House bill, and if appropriate, take some time to thank them, or schedule some time to discuss concerns.
- Review the Affordable Health Care for America Act as it passed the House.
- Visit our online USW Health Care Tool Kit for the latest information, and please pass it on.
- Keep the pressure on members of the Senate to pass health insurance reform that helps, doesn't hurt working families. Click here for info on why the proposed Senate legislation is bad for working families.
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Click here for a list of Congress members, including Blue Dogs. Please write and call and ask them to support health insurance reform that includes our princples. You can get letter-writing tips and examples here. You can get tips and talking points for calling here.
Current Legislation
On Nov. 18, 2009, Senate Democrats unveiled its version of health insurance reform legislation. The proposal differs from the House bill in some major areas, including a proposed excise tax on workers' benefits in the Senate bill. The USW opposes such taxation of workers' benefits. Click here to use a New York Times tool that compares the House bill and the new Senate proposal.
Click here for talking points related to the Senate bill introduced by Majority Leader Harry Reid. (11/19/2009)
Click here for a useful interactive tool provided by the Kaiser Family Foundation that allows for side-by-side comparisons of various health insurance reform proposals, including the House bill as passed.
Click here to review the major Medicare provisions relating to benefit changes, Medicare Advantage, the Medicare prescription drug benefit, physician and other provider payment reforms, and other health system reforms in H.R. 3962, Affordable Health Care for America Act, as approved by the full House on November 7, 2009.
Click here to review details about the Affordable Health Care for America Act as passed by the U.S. House on Nov. 7.
To view a copy of the Affordable Health Care for America Act, H.R. 3962, as passed Nov. 7, click here.
To view the immediate benefits for Americans that kick in under this legislation, click here.
To view a bill summary, detailed fact sheets and more information on what the health insurance reform will mean for Americans, click here.
Click here to download a flier that explains why House Bill 3962 is good for union members, "What's In It for Me?"
Click here to download a flier that explains why H.R. 3962 is a better bill than what the Senate is considering.
Important Information about the Proposed Excise Tax
The nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) analyzed the impact of the Senate Finance Committee’s proposed 40 percent excise tax on high-cost health care benefits on families and individuals. The analysis confirms that costs are expected to be passed along to consumers through higher health coverage cost. We cannot let this happen. Please write or call your member of Congress and ask them to reject taxing health insurance benefits.
The review of the excise tax proposal by the JCT shows:
- The total number of individual and family plans impacted by the excise tax grows from 19% to 30% and 14% and 31% respectively between 2013 and 2019 -- many of them USW members and retirees.
- The total number of family plans affected by the excise tax grows from 12.7 million to 31 million between 2013 and 2019.
- The average tax increase for all households grows from $918 to $1,318 between 2013 and 2019.
- For the middleclass income brackets, the number of households hit by the tax doubles, and in some income brackets nearly triples, by 2019.
Click here for the entire JCT analysis.
Click here to download a Nov. 4, 2009, ad from the AFL-CIO that appeared in Congressional publications.
Click here to download an Oct. 22, 2009, letter from the AFL-CIO to members of the U.S. Senate explaining why a proposed excise tax on certain health benefits is bad for working families.
Click here to download talking points addressing the proposed excise tax and common misconceptions.
Click here to download the letter from Connecticut Rep. Joe Courtney and some 180 fellow House members urging Speaker Pelosi to reject the Senate proposal that include the excise tax.
Click here to download a copy of the AFL-CIO advertisement outlining our bottom line on health insurance reform. The USW was among the unions to join this ad.
Click here to download a copy of the letter signed by the USW and other AFL-CIO unions sent to Senate leadership outlining our bottom line when it comes to health insurance reform.
Click here to download printable talking points explaining with taxing health insurance benefits is bad for workers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Click here to download a copy of frequently asked questions from USW members and answers to those questions. (Updated 10/20/2009)
Click here to download a document that answers the question, "I have good health insurance. Why do I need reform?"
Talking Points, Fact Sheets and Presentations
Click here to download our Power Point presentation that you can show at union meetings or other gatherings. The presentation lays out what's happening, where we stand and what we're doing. Click here to download the accompanying script. (Last updated 10/09/2009)
Click here to download a printable flier outling where our union stands on health insurance reform.
Click here to download talking points explaining why we need a strong public option.
Click here for an explainer from Health Care for America Now that breaks down what is a public option.
Click here to download talking points explaining "pay to play."
Fliers and Hand Bills
Click here to download a printable flier that highlights the health care reform as one of the ingredients to a health economy, along with manufacturing jobs and free choice.
Click here for fliers featuring several USW members, retirees and allies sharing personal stories about why health insurance reform is important to them.
Tip Sheets
Click here to download tips and talking points for calling members of Congress.
Click here to download tips and samples for writing members of Congress.
Click here to download a tip sheet for writing letters to the editor and submitting other feedback to media in this important discussion.
Single Payer and other AFL-CIO Resolutions
In September 2009, the AFL-CIO unanimously approved two resolutions regarding health care - one resolution set a goal of a single-payer health care system and the second supported a program of immediate health care reform. The USW supported these resolutions.
Click here to download the AFL-CIO Resolution 4 endorsing health insurance reform now.
Resolution 34 also known as "The Social Insurance Model for Health Care Reform," supports a single-payer universal system. USW International President Leo W. Gerard presided over the debate, saying that regardless of the outcome of the current health care legislative action, "we’re going to continue the fight for single-payer. I’m not in favor of universal insurance, I’m in favor of universal health care. We are going to fight to make sure every single American gets high quality health care."
Links
Families USA: http://www.familiesusa.org/
President Obama has put together a Web site with information, videos and other resources to help you separate fact from fiction: http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/RealityCheck
Health Care for America Now: http://healthcareforamericanow.org/
An Online Guide to Health Care Reform (Salon): http://www.slate.com/id/2220222/
AFL-CIO: http://www.aflcio.com/issues/healthcare/
National Women's Law Center has put togther a Web site explaining with health insurance reform is especially important for women: http://www.nwlc.org/reformmatters/
Video
Here is a video from Workers Uniting, the world's first global union, addressing some of the common myths about the UK health system:
Here is a video from Canadian Doctors for Medicare that shows Canadians are happy with their nationalized health care system:
