HCAN in Iowa

On August 16, members of the Health Care for America Now (HCAN) Coalition met with Iowa Senator Tom Harkin, sharing their concerns and stories about uninsured Iowans. They also talked about the struggles faced by both direct-care workers and the people they serve as a result of inadequate or no insurance. That’s me in the back row of the photo right behind the senator, along with other members of the coalition, as he signs HCAN’s Which Side Are You On? pledge. Senator Harkin supports the establishment of a comprehensive national health care plan. He mentioned two ways that goal might be achieved: Give all Americans the option to enroll in the Federal Employee Benefit Pool (the same insurance he has), with the rationale that enrolling more would lower the cost to individual members; or Expand Medicare to cover all Americans. It would be much more difficult to get Congress to pass the second, he noted. The senator explained that Congress has the authority to set up a board, much like the federal reserve board, to set up and regulate the new health care system. He believes that kind of non-partisan process will be required to get past some of the hurdles a comprehensive health care plan would have to cross in Washington. You can join Senator Harkin in signing your support for the HCAN pledge. HCAN Iowa is comprised of the following organizations: ACORNAFSCME Council 61 Alliance for Global Justice American Medical Student Association Des Moines University Chapter American Medical Student Association University of Iowa Chapter Child and Family Policy Center Communication Workers of America Iowa CareGivers Association Every Child Matters Iowa Iowa Citizen Action Network Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement Iowa Community Action Association Iowa Conference of the United Methodist Church Iowa for Health Care Iowa Federation of Labor AFL-CIO Iowa Planned Parenthood Affiliate League Progressive Action for the Common Good Progressive Coalition of Central Iowa MoveOn.org Service Employees International Union Visiting Nurse Services Polk County Working Families Win Di FindleyDirector, Iowa CareGivers Association