As the health care reform debate continues to heat up across the nation in town halls, advocates are working to ensure that immigrants are part of the health care reform proposals that will be voted on in the fall.  Currently, none of the House bills have any provisions to include immigrants, including legal immigrants, in the health care reform proposals, and the same is anticipated in the Senate unless advocates start working to ask for the inclusion of immigrants in the proposals. 

Some major provisions that would increase access to health care for immigrants that have not been included are the following:

Ensuring that all children regardless of status have access to health care -A majority of Americans support health care for all children regardless of immigration status.
 
Eliminating the five-year bar for legal immigrants to access public health programs-After welfare reform, legal immigrants face a five year bar to both public health and human service programs at the federal level.  A few states like California have provided access to the state funded portion of Medi-Cal to provide legal immigrants access to health care.  The federal government must remove this barrier that continues to deny health care coverage to legal immigrants!
 
Ensuring that pregnant women and infants, regardless of immigration status, have access to health care-It is critical to provide access to health care for this group of individuals.  The long term costs of denying health care are far outweighed by the actual cost to provide such care.
 
Providing subsidies to legal immigrants who wish to purchase health insurance under the current reform proposals-Immigrants must have options and access to subsidies to purchase health care insurance like all other citizens.

LCHC will continue to monitor developments in the health care reform proposals and the impact it will have on immigrant communities.  For more information on the immigrant provisions or ways to get involved, please visit the National Immigration Law Center website at www.nilc.org and download their immigrant tool kit at the following link http://www.nilc.org/immspbs/health/health038.htm.  Please cut and paste to your web browser for easy access to the tool kit which contains talking points, an overview of the immigrant provisions, and other related materials.

 

This week the health care reform debate continues in full swing.  The news media has been focusing on the opposing views being articulated at the town hall meetings hosted by members of Congress.  In addition, there was word from the White House last Sunday that a public option may be negotiable as Congress returns from their recess. 
Advocates across the country are gearing up to ensure that a public option is included in the health care reform proposals and we are urging your support to ensure that the message is delivered to your representatives loud and clear.  The public option would allow individuals to be enrolled into a public health program if they choose to, which would provide for more competition in the health care insurance industry and make rates more competitive for everyone.  Please take a few minutes today to make calls and or schedule a visit with your representative today!

1)   Make calls to your local congressional representative today! See sample script below.

2)   Schedule a district visit with other community members to discuss how important it is for a public option to be included in the health care reform package.  For help scheduling a visit, please contact Patricia Ward at (916) 448-3234 or pward@lchc.org. 

3)  Attend a town hall meeting scheduled below, to ensure that representatives are hearing from both sides of this important debate. 

Sample Script:
 
Hello, my name is __________________(name) and I am calling from __________________(organization and or city).  I am calling today to ask ____________________(my representative or Senator) to support the public option in the healthcare reform proposals.  True and meaningful reform cannot take place unless people have a public option and a choice in their health care decisions.  Thank You!

Attend a town hall and voice your opinion!

Friday, AUGUST 21 from 10:00 to 12:00
REPRESENTATIVE HENRY WAXMAN
Climate Change Forum
UCLA--Korn Hall
110 Westwood Plaza
Los Angeles, CA
Event "sold out" --- protest outside

Saturday, AUGUST 22 at 6:00 AM
REPRESENTATIVE ED ROYCE
Kelly's Coffee
9783 Chapman Avenue
Garden Grove, CA

Sunday, AUGUST 23 at 11:00 AM
REPRESENTATIVE JACKIE SPEIER
Congress on the Coast
Cypress Meadows Conference Center
343 Cypress Avenue
Moss Beach CA

Monday, AUGUST 24 at 6:00 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SUSAN DAVIS
Consumer Credit & Identity Theft
Bayside Community Center
2202 Comstock Street
San Diego CA

Tuesday, AUGUST 25 from 5:30 PM-9:00 PM
SENATOR BARBARA BOXER
Fundraiser for Sen. Barbara Boxer's reelection campaign.
Mason Street
San Francisco, CA
$25 .To complete your RSVP, https://secure.ga6.org/08/ruby_skye? source=facebook_rubyskye

Tuesday, AUGUST 25 at 6:30 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MIKE HONDA
Telephone Town Hall  (constituents only)
Register here: http://honda.house.gov/telephonetownhall/input.shtml

Tuesday, AUGUST 25 at 7:00 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SUSAN DAVIS
Water Conservation Workshop
USD  Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice
5998 Alcala Park
San Diego CA

Wednesday, AUGUST 26 at 12:30 noon
REPRESENTATIVE SUSAN DAVIS
Grants Workshop
NTC Promenade Command Center
Historic Decatur Road
San Diego, CA.

Thursday, AUGUST 27
REPRESENTATIVE DIANE WATSON
Health Care Forum
TBA

Saturday, AUGUST 29 at 9:00 AM
REPRESENTATIVE JACKIE SPEIER
Family Day
Burton Park
900 Chestnut Street
San Carlos CA

Saturday, AUGUST 29 at 1:00 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SUSAN DAVIS
Health Care Town Hall
Spring Valley Library
836 Kempton Street
Spring Valley, CA 91977

Saturday, AUGUST 29 at 2:00 PM
REPRESENTATIVE JUDY CHU
Health Care Town Hall
City of Hope Cooper Auditorium
1500 E. Duarte Road, Duarte, CA
Sign up: http://my.barackobama.com/

Monday, AUGUST 31 at 6:00 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SAM FARR
Health Care Town Hall
Salinas City Hall Rotunda
200 Lincoln Avenue
Salinas CA

SEPTEMBER 2 at 6:00 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SAM FARR
Health Care Town Hall
King City Council Chambers
CA 212 S. Vanderhurst Avenue
King City CA

SEPTEMBER 3 at 6:00 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SAM FARR
Health Care Town Hall
Watsonville City Council Chambers
275 Main Street, 4th Floor
Watsonville CA

Saturday, SEPTEMBER 12 at 9:00 AM
REPRESENTATIVE PETE STARK
Health Care Town Hall
Ruggieri Senior Center
33997 Alvarado Niles Road
Union City, CA 94587

Saturday, SEPTEMBER 12 at 10:30 AM
REPRESENTATIVE PETE STARK
Health Care Town Hall
Hayward City Hall
777 B Street
Hayward, CA 94541

Saturday, SEPTEMBER 12 at 12:00 noon
REPRESENTATIVE PETE STARK
Health Care Town Hall
Alameda City Hall
2263 Santa Clara Avenue
Alameda, CA 94501