PICO, Community Catalyst, SEIU and 157 Other Organizations Urge Senator Reid to Keep Insurance Affordable for Families

November 02, 2009

 Urge Majority Leader to reject proposal that would increase premiums for low-wage families

WASHINGTON, DC - PICO National Network, Community Catalyst, SEIU and 157 other faith, labor, consumer, public health and patient organizations representing millions of American families in 39 states, sent the following letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid urging him to reject a proposal that would increase premiums for low-wage working families, and instead to ensure that Senate legislation makes insurance more affordable for precisely these families who have been hardest-hit by the economic downturn.

The Honorable Harry Reid
United States Senate
522 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-2803

Dear Majority Leader Reid,

The success of health reform depends on making health coverage and care affordable for the millions of low-wage working families who make up the bulk of the uninsured. The majority of people who will come to rely on subsidized coverage in the Exchange have incomes below 250% of the FPL, about $46,000 for a family of three. In Nevada, 300,000 people, six out of every ten people in the state who are uninsured, fall within this income range. These families often find themselves struggling to make ends meet, let alone afford thousands of dollars in health costs.

We believe it is vitally important that - as you work to develop the best possible health reform legislation that can pass the Senate - you do everything possible to lower premiums and out-of-pockets costs on low-wage working families who are least able to bear the brunt of an individual mandate. That is why we are alarmed by reports that suggest that your merger proposal may not make significant improvements over the Senate Finance legislation affordability for low-wage working families, and may in fact increase premiums on people at lower-income levels.

Our faith, labor, consumer, public health and patient organizations represent millions of American families who actively support health reform, but they need to know that reform will make coverage affordable not place an unsustainable burden on those who today lack coverage. As many interests vie to influence the health reform process, it is important that working families not be left with the short-end of the stick.

We look forward to working closely with you to assure that health reform is truly affordable for America's hard working families.

For more information please contact Gordon Whitman, gwhitman@piconetwork.org.

Sincerely,

American Public Health Association
Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good
Center for Community Change
Center for Rural Affairs
Community Catalyst
Disciples Justice Action Network
The Episcopal Church
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Faithful America
Families USA
Family Voices
Gamaliel Foundation
Interfaith Worker Justice
Islamic Society of North America
Jesuit Conference
National Council of Churches
National Partnership for Women & Families
National Women's Law Center
NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby
PICO National Network
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Washington Office
Raising Women's Voices
SEIU
Sojourners
United Methodist Church - General Board of Church and Society

Alabama
Alabama Appleseed
Alabama Arise
Baldwin County ACT II-PICO, Fairhope
Birmingham Area Interfaith Sponsoring Committee-PICO

Arkansas
Arkansas Interfaith Alliance

California
Berkley Organizing Congregations for Action-PICO
California Immigrant Policy Center
California Partnership
CHIRLA - Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles
Congregations Building Community-PICO, Modesto
Congregations Organizing for Renewal-PICO, South Alameda County
Contra Costa Interfaith Sponsoring Committee Organization-PICO
Faith in Action-PICO, Bakersfield
Faith in Community-PICO, Fresno
Faith Works-PICO, Northern San Diego County
Greater Long Beach Interfaith Community Organization-PICO
Health Access California
Inland Congregations United for Change-PICO, San Bernardino, Riverside, Coachella
L.A. Voice-PICO, Los Angeles
Oakland Community Organizations-PICO
Orange County Congregations Community Organization-PICO
Peninsula Interfaith Action-PICO
People Acting in Community Together-PICO, San Jose
People and Community Together-PICO, Stockton
PICO California
Sacramento Area Congregations Together-PICO
San Diego Organizing Project-PICO
San Francisco Organizing Project-PICO

Colorado
Colorado All Kids Covered Initiative
Colorado Consumer Health Initiative
Colorado Progressive Action
Colorado Voices for Coverage
Council of Churches - Colorado
Metro Organizations for People-PICO, Denver

Connecticut
United Action Connecticut (UACT)
Connecticut Voices for Children

Florida
Florida CHAIN
Federation of Congregations United to Serve-PICO, Orlando
Affiliated Congregations to Improve our Neighborhoods-PICO, Gainesville
Congregations for Community Action-PICO, Melbourne

Illinois
Campaign for Better Health Care
Organization of the NorthEast, Chicago

Hawaii
Faith Action for Community Equity

Iowa
Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement

Kansas
Sunflower Community Action
Congregations Creating Opportunity-PICO, Kansas City

Kentucky
Kentucky Equal Justice Center
Advocacy Action Network

Louisiana
MICAH Project-PICO, New Orleans
Congregations Organizing People for Equality-PICO, Abbeville
Working Interfaith Network-PICO, Baton Rouge
Faith United Empowering Leadership-PICO, New Roads
Bayou Interfaith Together-PICO, Houma and Thibodaux
PICO Louisiana Interfaith Together

Maine
Consumers for Affordable Health Care
Every Child Matters in Maine
Maine Center for Economic Policy
Maine Children's Alliance
Maine Equal Justice Partners
Maine People's Alliance

Maryland
Lutheran Office on Public Policy in Maryland
Maryland Citizens' Health Initiative
CASA de Maryland, Inc.

Massachusetts
Health Care for All
Alliance to Develop Power
PICO Massachusetts Communities Action Network
United Interfaith Action of Southeastern Massachusetts-PICO
Brockton Interfaith Community-PICO
Metropolitan Interfaith Congregations Acting for Hope-PICO, Framingham
Essex County Community Organization-PICO, Lynn

Michigan
Michigan Universal Health Care Access Network
Flint Area Congregations Together-PICO

Minnesota
ISAIAH, Minneapolis
Take Action Minnesota

Mississippi
Mississippi Center for Justice

Missouri
Grass Roots Organizing
Congregations Creating Opportunity-PICO, Kansas City
Missouri Budget Project
Missouri Health Advocacy Alliance
Missouri Health Care for All

Montana
Working For Equality and Economic Liberation (WEEL)

Nebraska
Justice and Advocacy Ministry, ELCA
Interfaith Worker Justice of Nebraska

Nevada
Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Nevada
Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada
Family TIES of Nevada

New Hampshire
New Hampshire Voices for Health
NH Citizens Alliance for Action
Every Child Matters in New Hampshire
Granite State Organizing Project, Manchester

New Jersey
New Jersey Citizen Action
Camden Churches Organized for People-PICO
PICO New Jersey

New York
Brooklyn Congregations United-PICO
Center for Independence of the Disabled of New York, New York City
Citizen Action of New York
Commission on the Public's Health System, New York City
Community Service Society of NY, New York City
Empire Justice Center
Hispanic Senior Action Council, New York City
Hon. Michael A. Telesca Center for Justice, Rochester
Interfaith Action-PICO, Rochester
Merger Watch Project, New York City
New Yorkers for Accessible Health Coverage
Puerto Rican/Hispanic Elderly, Inc., New York City
Queen Congregations United for Action-PICO
The New York Immigration Coalition

North Carolina
North Carolina Fair Share

Ohio
Mahoning Valley Organizing Collaborative, Youngstown
Northeast Ohio Alliance for Hope
Progress Ohio
The AMOS Project, Cincinnati
Toledo Area Jobs with Justice Coalition, Toledo
UHCAN Ohio

Oregon
Oregon Action

Pennsylvania
Community Justice Project, Harrisburg
Congregations United for Neighborhood Action-PICO, Allentown
Consumer Health Coalition, Pittsburgh
Family Practice & Counseling Network, Philadelphia
Health Federation of Philadelphia, Philadelphia
Maternity Care Coalition
Pennsylvania Council of Churches
Pennsylvania Health Access Network
Philadelphia Unemployment Project
Pittsburgh Interfaith Impact Network

Rhode Island
Ocean State Action
The Poverty Institute at Rhode Island College School of Social Work

South Carolina
South Carolina Fair Share

Tennessee
Tennessee Health Care Campaign

Texas
Center for Public Policy Priorities

Utah
Utah Health Policy Project

Vermont

Vermont Interfaith Action-PICO
Voices for Vermont's Children
VPIRG, Montpelier

Virginia
Virginia Organizing Project

Washington
Washington CAN!
Northwest Health Law Advocates

Wisconsin
Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups (CWAG