Major $40M Healthcare Drive Kicks Off in MI
For Immediate Release: July 8th, 2008
Contact:
Dan Farough
517.999.3646
Massive coalition commits $40 million to fix broken healthcare system in Michigan, beyond
LANSING – A Michigan coalition of citizens, faith-based and community groups working to fix the state’s broken healthcare system today announced a new state and nationwide effort to expand and protect access to quality, affordable healthcare. The $40-million Healthcare for America Now! campaign kicked off in more than 52 cities nationwide with the goal of fixing Michigan’s and the nation’s broken healthcare system by 2009.
“This coalition will fight for an American solution to the healthcare crisis that guarantees quality, affordable care we can all count on,” said John Freeman, executive director of Healthcare for Michigan, the grassroots coalition that is made up of many citizens, faith-based and community groups supporting a recent ballot campaign. “We are a strong extensive coalition with thousands of volunteers across the state who will work together in Michigan and beyond to fix our healthcare system. This new state and national campaign will continue the fight for Michigan families and bring the right kind of reform to protect our families who are feeling the strain from skyrocketing healthcare costs.”
The Healthcare for America Now! campaign will pressure elected leaders at the state and federal levels to make important changes to fix the broken healthcare system, including fighting to make sure health insurers do not put profits before people’s healthcare needs and creating a system that will let people choose a public plan so they are not at the mercy of private, for-profit insurers.
“People who work hard and play by the rules deserve healthcare they can afford – and Healthcare for America Now! will ensure that nobody gets left behind,” said Erin Knott of Michigan Citizen Action. “We need a choice between public and private insurance plans so people are not left at the mercy of profit-driven insurance companies.”
“At a time when many people are just one pink slip away from bankruptcy and losing their jobs, it’s all the more important that we do everything in our power to protect healthcare access,” said Rev. Patrick Gahagen of Metropolitan Organizing Strategy Enabling Strength, or MOSES, a faith-based community organization. “Our faiths teach us to stand with those who suffer – and that’s why we must all work together to fix our broken healthcare system.”
Michigan Universal Health Care Action Network (MichUHCAN) said it enthusiastically joins the efforts of Health Care for America Now to make health care the centerpiece discussion for elections this fall.
“If there was ever a time for Americans to galvanize around a demand for quality, affordable health care, it is now!” said Marjorie Mitchell of MichUHCAN. “The suffering of our citizens from a health care system that exploits their needs must stop. Together, we can develop a plan that: covers all of us; provides quality services and shares the financial responsibility.”
The campaign includes Healthcare for Michigan, MichUHCAN, MOSES, Michigan Citizen Action, Progress Michigan, ACORN, AFSCME, Americans United for Change, Campaign for America’s Future, Center for American Progress Action Fund, Center for Community Change, MoveOn, NEA, National Women’s Law Center, Planned Parenthood, SEIU, UFCW, and USAction.
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