Health Care Reform Rally in Portland - SEIU

Check out SEIU's blog post on the Health Care Reform Rally in Portland last Saturday. Be sure to check out the link to Senator Snowe's comments in the post. You'll find the link is broken. Why? Senator Snowe's office made SEIU take down her comments. Sounds like she was telling us all what we wanted to hear, but not actually throwing her support behind the public option. Those of us who were there heard Cheryl Leeman say that Senator Snowe was now supporting the public option. Apparently that is not the case. The senator is still supporting the "trigger" option, meaning that if the reform put forth by insurance companies is not working in a year or two, and many more Americans are without health care coverage, and those that are lucky enough to still have coverage but are dealing with extremely high co-pays and deductibles and fighting to have claims paid instead of denied, if all this is still occurring, then the public option will be triggered. Does this sound like good reform? NO! Meaningful reform, changes that get health care to all of us, not just those lucky enough to have insurance, or rich enough to afford it, cannot wait to be made by the insurance companies. Changes that will drive down costs cannot be left to the insurance companies. Looks like all us activists with Change that Works and HCAN need to keep the pressure on Senator Snowe. Continue writing and calling Senator Snowe. She needs to hear and understand what we are saying. Reform can't wait, nor can it be solely up to the insurance companies. I don't trust them, do you?