Home » Achieving Universal Health Care
Currently, at least 47
million Americans do not have healthcare coverage. Over 14,000 Americans lose
their health insurance every day and more than 44,000 Americans die each year. Estimates
show millions more Americans are under-insured, which too often leads to bankruptcies
that tear families apart. Every other industrialized nation in the world
provides a basic standard of universal care for its citizens. DFA members are
working to make sure America's sick are no longer left behind because we can’t
wait any longer for healthcare reform. DFA members have taken
this fight local and have been on the ground lobbying local leaders to fix our
broken system. Members all across America are passing public option resolutions
through their local Democratic groups, clubs, and committees, in support of
healthcare reform with a public option. More than 35,000 letters to local
newspapers were written to fight for healthcare reform for all Americans. And
DFA members held over 350 vigils to highlight real people with healthcare
issues who need real reform with the choice of a public option. DFA members supported the
expansion of the State Children Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to cover more
than 10 million American kids. We wrote letters, made calls and met directly
with elected members of both parties. Together we passed a strong bill out of
Congress. When President Bush vetoed the bill, we worked in coalition with our
partners in the Service Employees International Union and others to flip enough
hold-out Republicans to overturn the President's veto. In 2009, President Obama
signed the SCHIP bill, which provided health insurance to millions of children
across America. In the words of Governor
Howard Dean, "we can guarantee healthcare for all if we give every
American the freedom to choose between keeping their private insurance - if
they have any - and a universally available public healthcare option like
Medicare." That is why DFA launched StandwithDrDean.com, the online
organizing hub for healthcare reform, in March of 2009. More than 400,000
Americans joined our campaign to draw a line in the sand over inclusion of a
public option in any healthcare reform passed this year. Howard Dean presented
every signature to Congress at a 10,000-person rally in D.C. on June 25th,
2009.
