CONTACT: Jeremy Funk, 202-470-5878
Lauren Weiner, 202-470-5870
Washington DC – On the heels of the signing into law of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act on Tuesday, progressive issue-advocacy group Americans United for Change praised U.S. Rep. Steve Kagen (WI-8)’s vote that helped usher in a new era of accountability for the insurance industry and ensure all Americans will have access to the quality and affordable health care they deserve.
Americans United for Change is delivering thousands of robocalls into Rep. Kagen’s district (See script below) thanking him for standing up to big insurance and helping pass long-over due reforms including:
* Barring insurance companies from discriminating based on pre-existing conditions and gender
* Prohibiting insurance companies from rescinding coverage when people get sick
* Ending lifetime and annual caps on coverage
* Extending parents’ coverage to young adults until age 26
* Filling the Medicare prescription drug coverage gap known as the ‘donut hole’
* Expanding health coverage to thousands in Wisconsin, including many that have been avoiding necessary care due to lack of insurance
Tom McMahon, Acting Executive Director, Americans United for Change: “No more denying coverage to people because of pre-existing conditions, no more dropping people when they get sick and need coverage the most, no more lifetime caps in coverage – an era of insurance industry abuse is finally coming to an end thanks to courageous Members of Congress like Steve Kagen who stood up to powerful special interests on behalf of Wisconsin families. These are monumental reforms that will save lives and prevent families from going bankrupt because of crushing health care costs. Representative Kagen went to the mat for seniors who will soon be paying lower premiums and never have to deal with the infamous ‘donut hole’ prescription drug coverage gap again. And at a time when insurance companies are raising premiums as high as 75 percent, thanks to Representative Kagen, tax credits are on the way to thousands of Wisconsin families and small businesses to help make coverage affordable.”
Call Script:
I’m calling for Americans United for Change at 202-470-6954
To influence Members of Congress, the insurance companies hired 2,049 lobbyists. They spent $86 million dollars on misleading ads to try to kill health insurance reform……….All because they want to keep jacking up premiums and denying us coverage.
But the insurance companies didn’t win.
Because your Congressman, Steve Kagen, said NO to big insurance and YES to standing up for regular people.
Call Congressman Steve Kagen at __________. Thank him for standing up for us.
BY-THE-NUMBERS: According to a recent analysis from the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce, in Rep. Kagen’s district, the health care reform bill will:
Improve coverage for 475,000 residents with health insurance.
Give tax credits and other assistance to up to 186,000 families and 17,200 small businesses to help them afford coverage.
Improve Medicare for 114,000 beneficiaries, including closing the donut hole.
Extend coverage to 13,000 uninsured residents.
Guarantee that 7,400 residents with pre-existing conditions can obtain coverage.
Protect 1,200 families from bankruptcy due to unaffordable health care costs.
Allow 53,000 young adults to obtain coverage on their parents’ insurance plans.
Provide millions of dollars in new funding for 11 community health centers.
Reduce the cost of uncompensated care for hospitals and other health care providers by $45 million annually.
