Congressman Joseph Cao To Host 5th AAA Health Fair March 20

Congressman "Joseph" Cao Hosts 5th AAA Health Fair for Louisianans on March 20, 2010

Let's hear it for Congressman Cao, who continues to put his money where his mouth is on the issue of health care for Louisianans. Below is a copy of the press release issued today by his office:

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 3, 2010
CONTACT: 
D. Clayton Hall (202) 225-6636
 

***MEDIA ADVISORY***

Cao to Host 5th AAA Health Fair

New Orleans, LA – On Saturday, March 20, 2010, Congressman Anh “Joseph” Cao (LA-02) will host his 5th “Affordable, Accessible, and Accountable” (AAA) Health Fair at Craig Elementary School from 10:00am to 2:00pmCST.

Cao said: “While those in Washington continue to argue over the politics of a health care reform bill, I want to help the constituents of Orleans and Jefferson Parishes with immediate health care assistance.”

Cao added: “Our health care system should be affordable, accessible, and accountable.  I host AAA health fairs for people to actively engage in preventive care.  I invite everyone in the 2nd Congressional District to take advantage of these free services and vital information.”

Who: Congressman Anh “Joseph” Cao and certified health officials

What: AAA Health Fair (Affordable. Accessible. Accountable.)

Where: Craig Elementary School – 1423 St. Phillip St., New Orleans, LA

When: Saturday, March 20, 2010

Time: 10:00am - 2:00pmCST 

The Louisiana Department of Insurance will be available to answer questions about insurance coverage, products, and rates. The U.S. Census Bureau will be on site to answer questions about the 2010 Census.

Provided services will include screenings, education, and/or referrals for the following items:

• Assistance with Prescription Medicines
• Children’s Health Insurance Enrollment (LaCHIP)
• HIV/AIDS
• Eye Exams
• Oral Health
• Mental Health
• Diabetes
• Blood Pressure
• Home Care
• Pregnancy Testing
• Stress Management
• Acupuncture

  For more information about the AAA Health Fair, click here.

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If this issue matters to you, please take a moment to contact Congressman Cao or his staff to say "thank you" for his dedication to the issue of affordable health care for all Louisianans. 

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Senators Need A Push To Pass Health Care Reform Bill

Senators Need A Push To Pass Health Care Reform Bill

Today from MoveOn:

Breaking news: congressional leaders are presenting a new plan to finish comprehensive health care reform—but it's already meeting resistance from some rank-and-file Democrats.¹

News reports say "it's unclear that they will have the votes to move forward."²

So we're launching a massive nationwide call-in effort today to send an overwhelming message to Capitol Hill: giving up on health care reform is not an option. Voters want their elected representatives to stand up and deliver, and the first step is passing real, comprehensive health care reform this year.

We've set a goal of making 45 calls to Senator Mary Landrieu from MoveOn members in New Orleans today—can you join in?

Here's where to call:

Senator Mary Landrieu
Phone: 202-224-5824

Then, please report your call by clicking here:

http://pol.moveon.org/call?tg=FSLA_1&cp_id=1237&id=18719-17452410-veyD4cx&t=1

Thanks for all you do.

Update: We called Senator Landrieu's office today and - Hallelujah! - we got through! The Senator's aide stated that "as of right now, Senator Landrieu is all in" to support the bill.  But don't let that keep you from calling...remember, the Senator withheld her support until virtually the last minute, so she needs to know that you want her to stick with it!

Happy Holiday Wishes

Organizing For America asks that you remember our senators when you send out your holiday greetings this year. Let Senators Landrieu and Vitter know that your wish is for effective, affordable health care reform for all of our friends and family this year. Below you can see their message, and click to send a card to our senators.

This year, when you're writing holiday cards to your friends and loved ones, there are two more people who need to hear from you: Senator David Vitter and Senator Mary Landrieu.


With the Senate deep in final negotiations -- and a compromise just introduced that increases choice and drives costs down -- your senators need to understand how urgent reform really is.

So we've come up with a unique way for you to get the message across -- by sending your senators a card with your holiday wish for the season.

Send a holiday card to your senators, telling them that your wish this season is for them to pass health insurance reform.

Since the full Senate began debating reform just over two weeks ago, approximately 224,000 Americans have lost their health insurance, while spiraling costs have forced countless more into bankruptcy or foreclosure.

That's a big number -- it's as many people as live in a city like Baton Rouge, and more than live in Reno.

This crisis affects everyone in our community. It could be a father down the street who now won't be able to pay for care when his son breaks his leg playing soccer, or a daughter who must watch helplessly as her newly-uninsured mother gets a breast cancer diagnosis she can't afford to treat.

Every day brings thousands more stories of heartbreak and struggle that just shouldn't be in a nation as blessed as ours.

So please take a moment to cut through the noise in D.C. with your simple holiday wish: affordable, quality health care for every American family.

Send your holiday card for health reform today:

http://my.barackobama.com/HolidayCard

Thanks,

Mitch

Mitch Stewart
Director
Organizing for America

Louisiana Congressman Crosses Party Lines to Support Health Insurance Reform

Louisiana Congressman Anh "Joseph" Cao Crosses Party Lines to Support Health Insurance Reform

Congressman Anh "Joseph" Cao has a history of listening to the concerns of his constituents.

History is being made in our very midst, Louisiana.

Yesterday at 11:15 p.m. the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass their version of the health insurance reform bill. For those of you who are counting, this is the first time in the history of our nation that either chamber of Congress has passed a comprehensive health insurance reform bill. Among the 220 votes supporting the bill (215 voted against it) we find our very own Louisiana Representative, Congressman Cao (pronounced Gow). As if the House vote weren't historic enough, Congressman Cao crossed party lines to throw his political weight behind the reform bill - the only Republican to do so.

As ever, the price for making history is steep. Obviously Congressman Cao runs the risk of alienating his largely conservative constituency by crossing traditional Republican party lines to support health insurance reform. And the news for his liberal constituents isn't perfect either - Cao was instrumental in removing any portion of the bill that would provide government subsidized funds for abortions. Critics of the Congressman will likely opine that he hopes to have his cake and eat it too (does that expression make sense to anyone?). But we here at HFL take a different view, and we'll tell you why:

Over the past several months, we have lobbied each of our representatives in Congress heavily regarding health insurance reform, and that means lots of e-mails, letters, phone conversations, and direct meetings when possible. Any member of Congress will send a return form letter if you write to them, but Congressman Cao has been by far the most responsive politician that I, personally, have ever dealt with. Not only was his response letter immediate, but it was also clear, well-written (you wouldn't believe the kind of crap that some representatives put their name on), and thoughtful. Regardless of one's own position on the matter, it would be difficult to read that letter and not feel that Cao has put tremendous energy and thought into the issue of health care in America.

Congressman Cao's aides are also intelligent, polite, and well-versed in political issues AND on his stance on those issues. This is in extraordinary contrast to, say, Senator David Vitter's aides, who in my personal interactions have managed to be mostly hostile, uninformed, and in all other ways pretty much totally unprepared to communicate with the general public. (We'll get to Landrieu's aides later). A politician's aides tell a lot about how seriously that politician takes his or her position as a leader, and Cao's aides have been unfailingly well informed and eager to involve his constituents. The Congressman also goes out of his way to determine his constituents' opinions on political matters. Rather than wait for opinions to find their way to his desk, the Congressman holds regular town hall meetings in his district, and his website posts surveys on major issues, allowing his constituents an ease of access that is relatively uncommon amongst the more high-brow political types.

But all of this is secondary to the strength of Congressman Cao's convictions, and the lengths to which he will go to be a positive, effective influence on the democratic process. His history of seeking out input from his constituents and his willingness to stand behind his values, putting his votes where his mouth is, make him stand out as a remarkably dignified figure amongst a crowd of glorified snake charmers.

So while we can't say that he does everything exactly the way we, as voters, might want him to do it, we can say this:  If Congressman Cao is brave enough to vote against his party lines for something he believes is truly in the best interest of his community, then those of us who traditionally vote Democrat can vote against our party lines to keep him in office. Because when it comes right down to it, party lines are just a convenient illusion, and one that tends to distract voters (and politicians) from the real issues. They are no substitution for careful consideration and ethical action, and we think Congressman Cao embodies an approach to representation that truly brings the "serve" back into public service.

If you live in LA's Second District, click here to share your thoughts with Congressman Cao.

Phone Calls For Health Insurance Reform Surpass All Expectations

Phone Calls For Health Insurance Reform Surpass All Expectations

Goal Overshot By More Than 300%

Yesterday we posted a link to Organizing For America's project asking supporters of health insurance reform to call their Representatives in Congress and make their views known.

Today, we are happy to report that not only did you respond, but you overshot OAF's goal of 100,000 phone calls in one day - by over 300%! More than 300,000 phone calls to congress were logged in support of health insurance reform efforts!

Here is what OAF and the Obama Administration have to say to those of you who participated in this great show of support:

As you know, we set a big goal: 100,000 calls to Congress placed or committed to in a single day by OFA supporters and allied organizations. By 2:30 p.m., you had crushed it. So, we gulped and said let's go for 200,000, not knowing what would happen. But the calls just kept pouring in -- keeping phones ringing off the hook in congressional offices in D.C. and your representatives' district offices around the country.

Then, OFA supporters gathered in over 1,000 living rooms and community centers from Macon, Georgia to Missoula, Montana. You called hundreds of thousands of key voters in your community and got them to agree to call Congress and speak out for reform, too. President Obama joined in at a call party in New York -- and he had some amazing words of support for the folks like you who make this movement possible.

I'm looking at the numbers, and with almost all of the reports now in, the tally wasn't 200,000 calls placed or pledged -- it was 315,023. You did it.

Take a moment to watch the President's inspiring words to OFA volunteers on this incredible day.

Your voice was overwhelming -- with reports in the media of congressional offices "completely crushed with calls." CBS News described your effort as an "onslaught." And a congressional aide was quoted with a common response, saying their office was deluged by "pretty much non-stop health care calls from OFA.

You set a new OFA record, you caught the national media's attention, and you certainly put Congress on notice. But you know that's not what really matters.

The message I sent earlier talked about a woman, Jenny U., whose insurance company cut off her coverage because they decided her kidney donation to her sick daughter counted as a "pre-existing condition." What really matters is that today you brought America one giant, irreversible step closer to being a place where no one will ever have to suffer that kind of injustice again. That's what all the messages, late nights, and phone calls ultimately add up to. It's what makes everything we do together worthwhile -- and it's why we'll keep fighting together until the job is done.

Watch President Obama's special message to you from a call party in New York:

http://my.barackobama.com/TTDreport

Thank you, so much, for being part of the team.

We thank you all, from the bottom of our hearts, for joining this fight for health insurance for ALL Americans. We have never been prouder to share this great nation with you.
~ Editor and contributors to HealthForLouisiana.blogspot.com

LA Senator David Vitter on Health Care/Health Insurance Reform

Louisiana Senator David Vitter On Health Care/Health Insurance Reform

Louisiana's Senator David Vitter (to label him "Republican" might be something of an understatement and/or a misnomer, depending on who you ask) is back in the news today regarding what seems to be a never-ending Washington prostitution ring scandal, but we're more interested in his stance on the state of health care in Louisiana. So we wrote to Senator Vitter about our support for reforms that would mean affordable health insurance for all Louisianans, and received in response his form letter on the issue (the same letter you would likely receive if you wrote to him on the issue). Senator Vitter's form response to the health care issue reads as follows (the only edit we made was to replace the name with an initial in the first line):

Dear Mrs. M.,             Thank you for contacting me in favor of a public health insurance plan.  I appreciate hearing from you on this important issue.              I understand many Americans are uninsured or underinsured, causing many individuals and families to not receive the proper care they need to stay healthy.  I am committed to finding ways to provide quality and affordable health insurance to all Americans, and I believe we can reform health care by allowing reimportation of safe, cheaper prescription drugs from Canada and by speeding the approval of generic drugs.  Also, I believe we should offer small businesses the ability to pool together, which would provide the same negotiating advantage as corporations, to get access to affordable health care for their employees.  And, providing refundable tax credits would make health care more affordable and accessible by empowering individuals and families with more buying power to pick the health care plan that best fits their needs.              I also want health care reform, but I am concerned that the America's Affordable Health Choices Act would actually limit choices, diminish quality, and do nothing to control costs.  The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office projected that this plan would cost more than $1 trillion over the next ten years and would still leave 34 million people uninsured.  Other independent studies show that 118 million Americans or 60 percent would lose their current coverage to be pushed on to the public plan.  I am concerned that the creation of a public plan would hinder Americans' access to the care they need and could result in long waiting lines for important surgeries and procedures.  I will continue working to make health care more affordable and accessible for Louisiana families as the Senate considers health care reform. Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts on this important issue.  Please do not hesitate to contact me again in the future about other issues important to you.

Sincerely, Senator David Vitter United States Senator

What we can discern from this letter:

1. Senator Vitter is aware that millions of Americans (and therefore presumably Louisianans) are currently uninsured or underinsured.
2. Senator Vitter supports the "reimportation" of prescription drugs from Canada. Apparently, he does not feel that the same drugs should simply be made more affordable to Americans in the first place. Why might this be? Perhaps we should consider that Vitter's top campaign contributors are from the "Health Industry" - and who has the money in the the health industry? Ah, that would be the insurance companies...followed closely by the pharmaceutical companies.
3. Senator Vitter believes that small companies should be able to pool together to seek insurance - which they already can. 
4. Senator Vitter wants to "solve" the problem of lack of insurance for millions of Americans by suggesting some kind of tax refund (although he doesn't seem want to suggest to anyone who hasn't written to him supporting health insurance reform). What's the biggest tax refund you have ever received? Would it come anywhere near paying for the cost of quality health insurance? We didn't think so.
   
5. Senator Vitter believes that the President's plan for health care reform is too expensive. So apparently, the senator has higher priorities for your tax dollars than to help you pay for your own health insurance. He would rather that money go... where? Oh, right. To his top campaign contributors - the health insurance industry.
6. Senator Vitter believes "independent" studies which seem to say that the plan would still leave millions without insurance, though how that is possible with a public option open to everyone, he doesn't explain. Nor does he provide you with a reference for these "studies," so I guess he just assumes that you wouldn't understand them anyway. We should just take his (and the insurance companies') word on it.
   
7. Senator Vitter seems to be under the impression that providing a public insurance option, affordable and open to anyone, would somehow cause a trend of people who are currently insured to lose their insurance, although he doesn't explain how or why this would be the case. In fact, he appears to be behind the times on this one, since Louisiana residents are already losing their health insurance at a faster rate than residents of any other state.

Health Statistics ; % Point Change in Uninsured (most recent) by state

VIEW DATA:  Totals	Definition     Source      Printable version
Bar Graph Map

Showing latest available data.

Rank   States  Amount  # 1   Delaware: 5.9   # 2   Mississippi: 5   # 3   Pennsylvania: 4.1   # 4   Rhode Island: 3.4   # 5   Tennessee: 3   # 6   New Jersey: 2.6   = 7   Utah: 2.1   = 7   Connecticut: 2.1   # 9   Missouri: 1.6   # 10   Michigan: 1.5   # 11   Vermont: 1.3   # 12   Wisconsin: 1.2   = 13   Minnesota: 1.1   = 13   Illinois: 1.1   = 13   Georgia: 1.1   # 16   North Carolina: 0.6   = 17   New Hampshire: 0.5   = 17   Arizona: 0.5   = 19   Colorado: 0.4   = 19   Oklahoma: 0.4   # 21   Nevada: 0.3   # 22   Montana: 0.2   # 23   North Dakota: -0.1   # 24   Massachusetts: -0.5   # 25   Maryland: -0.6   # 26   Iowa: -0.7   # 27   South Carolina: -0.8   # 28   Kentucky: -0.9   # 29   Oregon: -1.1   # 30   South Dakota: -1.2   # 31   Nebraska: -1.3   # 32   Texas: -1.4   # 33   Alabama: -2.1   # 34   Virginia: -2.2   = 35   Indiana: -2.3   = 35   Florida: -2.3   = 37   California: -2.4   = 37   District of Columbia: -2.4   # 39   New York: -2.5   = 40   Hawaii: -2.8   = 40   Ohio: -2.8   # 42   Maine: -3   # 43   West Virginia: -3.1   # 44   Washington: -3.3   # 45   Wyoming: -3.4   = 46   Kansas: -3.8   = 46   New Mexico: -3.8   # 48   Arkansas: -3.9   # 49   Alaska: -4.8   # 50   Idaho: -4.9   # 51   Louisiana: -7.2   Weighted average: -0.6

To summarize: Senator Vitter, who is self-admittedly perhaps not the foremost authority on "family values," knows that millions of us are uninsured. He knows that we cannot afford our prescription medications. But his campaign benefited more from the contributions of insurance and pharmaceutical companies than from any other industry. So, perhaps not coincidentally, he does not support health care reform as it is currently being debated, nor does he offer any more likely option. Senator Vitter would like, in short, to do absolutely nothing to help your family access affordable, quality medical care. He told us so himself.

Would you like to say something to Senator Vitter? Let your views be known (and let us know what he says)!  You can contact him via the internet, or through any of his offices:

Senator David Vitter:

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  Washington, D.C. Office

  516 Hart Senate Office Building
  Washington, DC 20510
  Main: (202) 224-4623
  Fax: (202) 228-5061
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  Central Louisiana Office

  2230 S. MacArthur Dr., Suite 4
  Alexandria, LA 71301
  Main: (318) 448-0169
  Fax: (318) 448-0189
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  Northeast Louisiana Office

  1217 N. 19th St.
  Monroe, LA 71201
  Main: (318) 325-8120
  Fax: (318) 325-9165
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  Northwest Louisiana Office

  920 Pierremont Road, Suite 113
  Shreveport, LA 71106
  Main: (318) 861-0437
  Fax: (318) 861-4865
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  Southeast Louisiana Office

  2800 Veterans Blvd., Suite 201
  Metairie, LA 70002
  Main: (504) 589-2753
  Fax: (504) 589-2607
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  Southwest Louisiana Office

  3221 Ryan St., Suite E
  Lake Charles, LA 70601
  Main: (337) 436-0453
  Fax: (337) 436-3163
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  Acadiana Office

  800 Lafayette St.
  Suite 1200
  Lafayette, LA 70501
  Main: 337-262-6898
  Fax: 337-262-6373
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  Baton Rouge Office

  858 Convention St.
  Baton Rouge, LA 70802
  Main: 225-383-0331
  Fax: 225-383-0952