The National Association of Free Clinics will have a one day Free Health Clinic on Wednesday, August 4th at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington D.C.
At long last, a free health clinic is coming to our nation's capital.
We have long believed that setting up a free clinic in the shadow of the Capitol, would shine a bright light on our failure as a nation to provide affordable and guaranteed healthcare to everyone.
We have only one goal for this event: To WAKE UP CONGRESS and encourage as many members as possible to make the short trip from the Capitol to the Convention Center to see for themselves how fifty million uninsured Americans attempt to access healthcare.
Because the cause of healthcare for all Americans is so righteous and important, we're taking names. We should all want to know which Members of Congress will attend the Free Clinic and which won't.
Please indicate in your comments who you've called and the response. As we begin to collect names we will update you periodically. We may even begin a health care heroes honor roll, for those members who will pledge to attend.
United States Capitol switchboard (202) 224-3121
House of Representatives
U.S. Senate
NO MORE EXCUSES:
The Convention Center is within walking distance of the U.S. Capitol.
NO MORE EXCUSES:
Congress and the Senate begin their summer holiday on August 9th
The reality remains that healthcare remains a privilege not a right in this country. This is tragic since Congress recently passed legislation known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Many Americans legitimately ask, "where is my protection, where is my affordable healthcare?" Can you blame them?
This is why today, slinkerwink and I are announcing WAKE UP CONGRESS a campaign, to get the August 4th Free Clinic maximum exposure to members of Congress and the Senate. We hope you will help in the WAKE UP CONGRESS campaign.
In addition, we foresee difficult years ahead for Americans as HHS begins implementing new regulations in an effort to curb the most egregious practices of the insurance industry like price gouging. So we are launching a new web site, EXPOSE INSURER ATROCITIES. In time, we hope EXPOSE INSURER ATROCITIES will become a go-to place to exchange information on all manner of insurer abuses.
We've long feared that insurers would game the system in every conceivable way, especially with unconscionable rate hikes before the 2014 exchanges begin. They are doing this to jack up premiums to the max before some semblance of regulation kicks in.We were correct, this is exactly what they are doing.
THE SEARING REALITY OF OUR BROKEN HEALTHCARE SYSTEM:
Speaking from my own personal experience, I can say that I thought I understood better than most, what was happening in this country vis a vis our broken healthcare system. But I didn't, until I started attending the Free Clinics and talking to working Americans, I understood nothing.
Here's what I heard over and over and over. I learned that most Americans are living paycheck to paycheck (if they're still employed). They no more have an extra $20.00 for a co-pay or a spare $15.00 stashed away to fill a prescription than I have a second head. I heard countless Americans tell me that they work often two and three jobs, each job just under the minimum number of hours to qualify for employer insurance--but even if they did qualify, they could not afford the monthly premium.
This is why I know the subsidies are woefully inadequate. This somber reality will hit home down the road as the exchanges and reform moves into high gear in 2014.
I also know that these people don't want or expect a handout. They do believe that healthcare is a right which, to a person they say is available only for those who can pay.
NO MORE EXCUSES:
At the Hartford Free Clinic Nicole Lamoureux the executive director of the National Association of Free Clinics told me that she always invites the politicians to attend and see for themselves all the suffering, but they never show up.
WAKE UP CONGRESS:
We will be working on the WAKE UP CONGRESS campaign from now until early August. We hope we can count on you to help.
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