URGENT: You should come to the 12/18 DC Day-Of-Action to stop the tax bill!
- The health consequences of the tax bill are immense.
- The bill isn’t a done deal. The final vote is Monday 12/18.
Many GOP members have been swayable on health messaging. It is still possible to kill the bill, make it less bad, or delay it (and thus also delay subsequent anti-health legislative priorities, like gutting Medicaid and Medicare). - There are other huge healthcare issues pending. Congress is endangering health by neglecting CHIP reauthorization and funding for Federally Qualified Health Centers and safety net hospitals.
- Activism makes the difference.
Health activists have been shifting public opinion, changing GOP votes, and killing anti-health bills all year. - The patient and health professional voices are powerful, our silence is not an option.
We have a professional responsibility to do health advocacy. - Make a personal commitment to either go to DC on 12/18 or to help get the word out now!
The Health Toll
- The tax bill’s anti-health statistics:
- 200,000-500,000 killed by lost healthcare in the next decade
13 million lose ACA health coverage = 130,000,000 years of coverage lost over 10 years
$400 billion in cuts to Medicare over next decade = ~40,000,000 years of coverage lost
$1-1.5 trillion in projected cuts to Medicaid/Medicare due to spending rules, future cuts
Every 300-800 years of coverage lost = 1 death
Tax bill = 200,000 deaths (conservative estimate) Per state/district estimates - ACA exchange: 13 million lose coverage, $2,000 premium increase for rest
- Medicare: $400 billion in cuts
- $1 trillion debt will be used to justify further health cuts
- 200,000-500,000 killed by lost healthcare in the next decade
- What tax bill attention leaves neglected:
- 9 million children will lose health coverage without CHIP
State-specific numbers 5 million next month!
● 24 million served by FQHCs risk loss of care
● Safety net hospital funding is at risk.
● Congress’s current plan to refund CHIP, FQHCs, and safety hospitals is to defund the Prevention and Public Health Fund. This is unacceptable.
- 9 million children will lose health coverage without CHIP
- The human toll:
- We know what loss of coverage means
- We know what missed windows for cure and prevention are
- We know what needless suffering and death look like
Details
What:
- Patients joined by health professionals in white coats and scrubs.
- Rallying, doing civil disobedience, and supporting civil disobedience.
Where: Washington, DC. Specifics TBD.
When: 12/18. Timing is likely about 12pm until midnight if risking arrest, until 7pm if not risking arrest.
How: Sign up here. Help with travel is possible. There will be buses from several major cities based on sign ups.
Who is doing this? A broad coalition of groups. Old pros who have been doing this all year. Housing Works, Center for Popular Democracy, and more. And now they’re joined by patient, nursing, medical, and health advocacy organizations.
Miscellaneous: Legal risk is low, questions will be answered. The typical charge is not a misdemeanor or felony, it’s like a traffic ticket.
Licensure and professional risk is low, questions will be answered.
Great people. Food typically happens.
Demonstration details are evolving, responsive to Congressional details. This is an opportunity for health professionals to make a powerful stand.
Imagine the effect of health professionals in white coats and scrubs at these demonstrations. Be inspired by ALS patient Ady Barkan 1 2
I can’t make it!
It’s ok, you can still make a difference.
Basic: Share this Google doc on Facebook, with groups, and on listservs.
Solid: Think of people who could make it, and individually write them. Think of people who know a lot of people, and individually share this with them.
All-star: Go above and beyond, and go through your Facebook, LinkedIn, or whatever and individually write a whole lot of people!