News release
Moms to Lawmakers: We Won’t Be Pacified Until Our Broken Healthcare System Is Fixed
July 20, 2009
Lisa Lederer, 202-371-1996
MomsRising.org Members Nationwide Meet With U.S. Senators to Discuss Healthcare
Moms across the country are setting up meetings with their U.S. Senators to share their unique perspectives on how the current healthcare system is failing to meet the needs of children and families. The meetings are part of a nationwide movement by MomsRising.org, a grassroots online and on-the-ground organization for moms (and anyone who has a mom), to make sure that the voices of women and families are not left out of the healthcare debate.
As part of the campaign, We Won’t Be Pacified Until Our Broken Healthcare System Is Fixed, MomsRising.org asked its members to share personal stories about how the healthcare system has failed them. The compilation of hundreds of stories, Mothers Know Best: MomsRising Members Share Their Personal Healthcare Stories, paints a highly personal and overwhelmingly disturbing picture of the shortcomings of the current system when it comes to children and families.
This week, MomsRising.org members in Washington, DC will deliver to U.S. Senate offices the books of stories along with pacifiers to urge lawmakers to make sure that our healthcare system works for families.
An estimated 46 million Americans have no health insurance, including millions of children. Women and children who are insured under their spouse’s employee-sponsored plans are seeing their coverage cut because of the recession, and those who are covered struggle with insurance companies to get the care they need.
“The voices and needs of mothers and families are too often ignored. But when we ignore them, we all lose out. Their stories provide valuable real life lessons about the shortcomings of our nation’s healthcare system--and their voices that will lead us to a healthier America,” said MomsRising.org Executive Director Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner.
“Moms know what it’s like to have a sick child who can’t get adequate care, or to have to go to work sick because they can’t afford to see a doctor. Seven in ten working-age women have no insurance, are underinsured, or are in debt because of medical bills. It’s important for our lawmakers to hear from the people who have firsthand experience with the healthcare system and know what will really help America’s families, instead of just hearing from the insurance companies and lobbyists.”
Mothers Know Best includes messages like:
“I am about to be laid off from my job which provides healthcare for my family. I can’t afford COBRA because it’s over $1,000 a month. It’s a joke – who can be unemployed and afford that?”
– Jane, California
“Last fall, my husband thought he may be having a heart attack. It was late at night and the only care available was the ER. My husband struggled with whether or not to go to the ER because he didn’t want to have to pay our $500 deductible plus our co-pay at the ER, if it turned out he was not having a heart attack. This is a sad state of affairs.”
– Jamie, Mississippi
“My husband and I have skipped yearly exams and have stayed at home and suffered when we are sick, because we simply can’t afford additional doctor’s bills. We’d love to have health insurance, but it’s a luxury we simply can’t afford.”
– Kari, North Carolina
Mothers Know Best: MomsRising Members Share Their Personal Healthcare Stories can be found here.