Change that Works Activist Update

Greetings Change that Works Activists, Our work in the month of July has been great! With Congress’ summer recess upon us, it’s important that we continue the great work throughout the month of August. Below are events happening this month to continue the fight for labor and health care reform. 1) HEALTH CARE DROP-INS With Congress adjourning for recess without a vote on H.R. 3200 it’s important our Representatives know how important it is to enact health care reform this year. If health care reform is delayed until 2010 (an election year where historically few pieces of legislation are passed), not only will another 22,000 people loose their lives because of a lack of health care, but 14,000 Americans will continue to loose their coverage every day. We need a legion of activists to drop-in to Senator Snowe, Senator Collins, and Congressman Michaud’s offices to convey the message that health care reform is needed. Please email or call Jeralyn at 333-2837 / jeralyn.cave@seiu.org to schedule your drop-in. 2) AUGUST HOME MEETING in AUGUSTA For everyone who has never been to a home meeting, now is your chance! Details on our next home meeting are below.

August 5th, 2009

Home of Anne Thomas

6PM

52 Newland Ave Augusta, ME

Enjoy a great discussion on health care and labor reform in a social atmosphere. At the end we’ll be writing letters to our Members of Congress. Please contact Jeralyn at 333-2836 or jeralyn.cave@seiu.org to RSVP. 4) HEALTH CARE PROFILES NEEDED Out of the minds of great activists, the Change that Works Campaign is initiating a profile project to illustrate the savings individuals and families would save with a public option. Volunteers are needed to be interviewed about their health care costs, family structure, and insurance policies. If you would like to participate, please contact Jeralyn at 333-2836 or jeralyn.cave@seiu.org. 5) ONGOING ACTION Movement on both the Employee Free Choice Act and Health Care is expected this summer and we are increasing our contact with our Senators. The following tactics are part of our strategy to make sure WE WIN: * Letters and Phonecalls to Your Senators - Many of you have already written and/or called Senators Snowe and Collins on healthcare reform or the Employee Free Choice Act. However, if you haven't called AND written BOTH senators on BOTH ISSUES, please take a few minutes to do so now. Please see the attached phone call scripts and sample letters; everything you need is there. * Faith Leader Sign-on Letter in Support of the Employee Free Choice Act - Dozens of religious leaders across the state are signing onto a letter in support of free choice. Contact me if you would like to approach your Pastor, Reverend, Rabbi etc. about signing on. We'll check to see if they have signed yet, and if not, I can get you a copy of the letter to present to them. Call Jeralyn at 333-2836 * Small Business Sign-on Letter in Support of Healthcare Reform and the Employee Free Choice Act - If you are a small business owner who would like to sign on, or if you know a small business owner who supports these issues, please contact me and I will get you the letter. Call Jeralyn at 333-2836 For Change that Works, Jeralyn Cave, Organizer MSEA/SEIU 'Change That Works' Campaign Cell 207-333-2836 Jeralyn.cave@gmail.com

More fighting over card check - 'typical union goons'

July 29, 2009 Yesterday on the Hill, the Alliance for Worker Freedom had an event on the 9th floor of the Hart building, involving invited guests and a congressman or two, talking about ways to beat Card Check. It was a Q/A sponsored by the Alliance for Worker Freedom that included folks from the Chamber of Commerce, the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace, the Hudson Institute and a private business owner and a labor attorney. A few minutes before the event was to begin, Alliance for Worker Freedom Executive Director Brian Johnson noticed a few guys who "immediately stood out," he says. He asked them what they were there for, they said for the Q/A. He then asked who they were with as it was an invite only Q/A. They said the SEIU. Johnson told them, "you and your organization are not invited, I need to ask you to leave." They sat down and told Johnson they weren't going anywhere. Johnson tells Shenanigans he then politely asked them to leave at least five times. They refused. At that point, Johnson went to find a Capitol Hill police man to remove them. "The cops had to check with the Rules committee," Johnson says, "and then told me, 'we're going to ask them to leave and if they don't leave we'll have to physically get them out and then you'll have to file charges,'" Johnson recalls. Of course the gang left - they said they weren't trying to cause any trouble. "Typical union goons!" groused Johnson. And then Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) got underway with his remarks and said "I think I missed all the fun!" "We weren't saying anythign we wouldn't say on camera," Johnson says of the event, "but it wasn't a public education seminar. It was clearly 'how do we defeat [card check]?'" As for the SEIU they admit they were there but wonder just how private that event could have been. SEIU Secretary/Treasurer Anna Burger told Shenanigans, "We love the irony of a so-called 'Worker Freedom' group actually turning the cops on workers who wanted to attend a public forum-in a taxpayer-funded building-- on the rights and freedoms of workers. What's next, Democracy briefings by Kim Jong-Il?" from Politico's Shenanigans blog

Alliance for Worker Freedom kicks out Workers

By Kate Thomas July 28, 2009 Today, several workers went to Capitol Hill to attend a panel discussion about the Employee Free Choice Act, sponsored by the Alliance for Worker Freedom. Much to their dismay, the workers were escorted out of the event after its organizers complained to the Capitol Police. The event was advertised as an information-gathering session for Congressional staffers to discuss the legislation, and have "questions addressed by experts in the field." And for the outside community, "a resource to gather and share information. However, it quickly became evident when the workers were blocked from attending the event that these panelists were probably not going to be educating the room on how we can push for the protection of workers' rights. The event featured speakers from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and corporate front groups the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace and the Workforce Fairness Institute, among others--the same groups and donors that fight against good wages, workplace safety and the ability of workers to form unions in their workplaces. You'd think that a meeting on Employee Free Choice would welcome the perspective of workers whose lives the legislation would most deeply effect -- but ironically, this was not the case. It's pretty ridiculous that an organization called "The Alliance for Worker Freedom" would kick out workers from a Capitol Hill panel discussion and Q&A about the rights and freedoms of workers. Guess a misleading organization name is just one more degenerate attempt by this group to convince people that they're on the side of workers. from SEIU's blog our own Dana Graham was one of those workers kicked out

My DCA Video Diary

This is my video diary that I did with the Direct Care Alliance when we were on The Hill in Washington back in April.

Massachusetts Union Members to Insurance Industry: Don't Derail Health Care Reform

by Mike Hall, Jul 24, 2009 More than 300 union activists surrounded the office of the Massachusetts Association of Health Plans (MAHP), in downtown Boston yesterday, to protest the insurance industry’s tactics in opposing national health care reform. MAHP and other industry groups, such as America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), have mounted a multimillion-dollar campaign of TV and radio ads, phony town hall meetings and lobbying to scuttle comprehensive health care reform. Says Rich Rogers, executive secretary of the Greater Boston Labor Council: We sent a strong message today in Boston that we can’t allow the insurance industry to derail reform. It is time to stand up to the insurance companies and show them that we mean business. The insurance industry’s main targets are heath care reform that includes a public health insurance option and curbs on the industry’s abusive practices that deny people needed care. A public plan option would allow workers and their families who either have private insurance coverage or no coverage at all to choose between private insurance or a public plan with a package of comprehensive benefits. Just last week, a former insurance executive outlined how insurance companies look for any reason to deny a claim or cancel a person’s policy when they make major claims. Jeff Crosby, president of the North Shore Labor Council, told rally participants that the pharmaceutical giants “bleed the system at a rate of profit twice that of most other industries,” and the insurance companies must be stopped from killing real reform. We can’t leave health care to people to whom it is just another business to make money. These health insurance companies are not health care providers, they are in the business of health care. It would be easier if there was a short cut, if we didn’t have to take on several of the most powerful industries in the country at once. The rally was co-sponsored by the Greater Boston Labor Council, the North Shore Labor Council, AFT Massachusetts, the SEIU Massachusetts State Council, the Boston Building Trades Council and others. this is one of the responses to this post on the AFL-CIO's blog TrueDemocrat on 27.07.2009 at 17:34 And Congress is comfortable negotiating with these maggots of profit, are WE going to get a good deal? EVER WONDER WHY YOU HAVE TO FIGHT SO HARD WITH YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY TO GET THE CARE YOU NEED? . . . Health insurance is big business. The companies make huge profits and their CEOs make millions, while the rest of us, employers and workers alike, face skyrocketing healthcare costs, impossible bureaucracy, and life-threatening denials. COMPANY Headquarters 2007 PROFITS* Aetna Inc. Hartford, CT $ 1.831 BILLION CIGNA Corp. Philadelphia, PA $ 1.115 BILLION Coventry Health Care *owns Altius, Carelink, Group Health Plan, HealthAmerica, OmniCare, WellPath, others Bethesda, MD $ 626 million Health Net Woodland Hills, CA $ 194 million Humana Inc. Louisville, KY $ 834 million UnitedHealth Group * owns owns Oxford, PacifiCare, IBA, AmeriChoice, Evercare, Ovations, MAMSI and Ingenix, a healthcare data company Minnetonka, MN $ 4.654 BILLION WellPoint * owns Blues across the US, including AnthemBlue Cross Blue Shield, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wisconsin, Empire HealthChoice Assurance, Healthy Alliance, and many others (Anthem is right here in Maine ) Indianapolis, IN $ 3.345 BILLION http://www.insurancecompanyrules.org/learn_more/the_roster/ Supporting Notes and References: 1. Aetna: In 2007, Aetna applauded itself for its low “medical loss ratio”–the percentage of revenue it “loses” to paying for health care. (Sensitive to public relations, the industry now calls this a “medical benefit ratio.”). Aetna spends less than 80 percent of premiums on health care by avoiding unhealthy enrollees and keeping a lid on services. http://seekingalpha.com/article/63682-aetna-inc-q4-2007-earnings-call-transcript (February 7, 2008) 2. CIGNA: a multinational business, CIGNA picked up its Starbridge products when it purchased StarHRG from HealthMarkets in 2006. HealthMarkets’ MEGA Life and Health, which targets the self-employed, has been investigated across the country for shady sales practices and shoddy coverage. http://www.insurancecompanyrules.org/learn_more/the_roster/ 3. Coventry: subsidiaries include: Altius, Carelink, Group Health Plan, HealthAmerica, OmniCare, WellPath, and others.4. HealthNet: Health Net made the news by giving large bonuses to employees for canceling policies. Los Angeles Times, Health insurer tied bonuses to dropping sick policyholders, November 9, 2007: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-nsure9nov09,0,4409342.story 5. Humana: Humana’s a big player in the privatized portion of Medicare. In 2007, Humana was accused of “bait and switch” tactics—luring seniors into a Medicare prescription drug plan by offering low premiums one year, then jacking them up the next. –The Boston Globe, January 3, 2007: http://www.boston.com/business/healthcare/articles/2007/01/03/menino_calls_for_humana_inquiry/ In May 2007, according to The New York Times: “In the first major investigation of Medicare marketing, the Oklahoma insurance commissioner has documented widespread misconduct by agents working for Humana.” Investigators found signs that agents had used “bait and switch tactics to secure the initial invitation” into Medicare beneficiaries’ homes. The state fined Humana half a million dollars for “using unlicensed agents” and,in some cases, “misleading marketing practices and misrepresentations.” –The New York Times, May 15,2007: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/15/washington/15medicare.html?_r=3&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1179231206-TRT2tWRts1oPzIUlIXb3iQ&oref=slogin&oref=slogin 6. UnitedHealth: also owns Oxford, PacifiCare, IBA, AmeriChoice, Evercare, Ovations, MAMSI. UnitedHealth also owns Ingenix, a health care data company, and other health-care relatedbusinesses.In 2006, UnitedHealth’s then-CEO, William McGuire, was fingered in a stock options scandal. Though he ultimately returned $620 million, he managed to keep $800 million. Stephen Hemsley, who joined UnitedHealth from Arthur Andersen, the accounting firm that closed shop in the wake of the Enron scandal, became CEO. “A court filing says UnitedHealth Group chief Stephen Hemsley had more involvement in options backdating thanhad been revealed in earlier investigations.” –Star Tribune (Minneapolis-St Paul), May 22, 2008:http://www.startribune.com/business/19196249.html?location_refer=Your+Money The New York State Attorney General, Andrew Cuomo, stated, “We believe there was an industry-wide schemeperpetuated by some of the nation’s largest health insurers to deceive and defraud consumers.” Mr Cuomo issuing the company for systematically forcing patients to pay more than they should when using doctors andhospitals outside their insurer’s networks. –The New York Times, February 14, 2008: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/14/business/14health.html?ei=5088&en=5536a581a8ba6d03&ex=1360645200&adxnnl=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1214927387-PYqRek14Cv9H4h8Oo9uqrA 7. WellPoint: WellPoint, the country’s biggest health insurance company, has Blue plans all over the country, most operating as Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield. Just a few other holdings include: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wisconsin, Empire HealthChoice Assurance, and Healthy Alliance.The company’s Chief Financial Officer, Wayne DeVeydt, reiterated this point. “I want you to know that we remain very disciplined in our underwriting approach and do not pursue business that we believe is priced below our profitability targets.” http://seekingalpha.com/article/73633-wellpoint-inc-q1-2008-earnings-call-transcript (April 23, 2008) FOR MORE INFORMATION, SEE: http://www.pnhp.org/and http://www.insurancecompanyrules.org/learn_more/the_roster/ from AFL-CIO NOW Blog July 27, 2009

US House nearing Vote on Health Care Reform

When was the last time you got a paycheck for $9,600?

If it was last pay period, the health care reform bill in Congress may not be for you. But if you're one of the 98% of Americans who make less than $250,000 every year, you stand to save a lot of money.

The health care reform bill being voted on in the House this week will save you an average of $2,200 per year.[1] It would have people who make more than a quarter of a million dollars help pay for reform by rolling back Bush's tax cuts for the rich. [2]

The bill is headed for a vote in the next few days. Click here to write a letter to your representative and urge them to pass historic health reform so you can save money.

For decades, giant corporations have refused to pay their fair share of rising health care costs. All the while, workers, small business owners, and our families have picked up their tab.

We can change that. But we've got to act now. Click here to tell Congress it's time everyone - even millionaires - did their part to fix health care.

This bill guarantees us quality, affordable health care. It will cover the uninsured and significantly lower the costs for those of us who have insurance. Let's pass this bill, so we can lower ours.

Thanks for all you do, Dr. L. Toni Lewis, MD

SEIU Healthcare

[1] Fork in the Road: Alternative Paths to a High Performance U.S. Health System - The Commonwealth Fund

2] How the Health Care Surcharge Works - Congressman Pete Stark

House passes Michaud bill to aid vet caregivers

Kennebec Journal Tuesday, July 28, 2009 LEWISTON -- The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation Monday afternoon that would provide additional support for veterans receiving home health care. One measure, sponsored by Rep. Mike Michaud, a Democrat representing Maine's 2nd District, seeks to ease the burden on people who give up their jobs or put off their education to take care of a wounded or disabled veteran family member. Michaud, chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Health Subcommittee, said the issue was brought to his attention by veterans' organizations that he regularly works with. "Hearing some of the financial problems that they have to deal with really concerned me," he said in an interview. One woman from Virginia told the story of how she used to call her husband, who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, constantly because she feared he was going to commit suicide, Michaud said. Ultimately she left her job in order to monitor him full-time. "I put forward this legislation to address those needs," he said. The bill is estimated to cost $193 million total over the next four years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. "When you look at the price tag for that time frame, I think it's a very small long-term cost and I also think it's going to save money," Michaud said. "Any time you can take care of them at home versus the VA or local health care provider, you can save." The legislation calls for education and outreach to veteran family caregivers, as well as medical care, monthly financial stipends, lodging and subsistence payments for primary family caregivers, according to the congressman. Because there are no current statistics regarding veteran family caregivers, the measure also calls for surveys at least once every three years to track the services. The CBO estimates about 180 caregivers for severely disabled or wounded Iraq and Afghanistan veterans would receive stipends by 2012 and more than 17,000 caregivers for veterans of all wars would benefit from other support services by 2014. Similar legislation is slated to be taken up by the U.S. Senate. Michaud said the government has vastly improved veteran care in recent years, due in most part to increased funding and expanding access to health care, particularly in rural states like Maine. "The problem is catch up; the previous administration did not adequately fund the Department of Veterans Affairs, particularly in treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder and head injuries," he said. But he said the VA can't provide all the support veterans need alone and he is encouraging partnerships with local health providers.