The threat of ACA repeal is back, and it is worse than ever. Congress is set to vote on Graham-Cassidy, a bill that would raise premiums for most families, allow insurance to discriminate based on pre-existing conditions, and make devastating cuts to Medicaid.
Congress is serious about trying to pass this bill and remove coverage for 30 million Americans. Even if you’re hearing that the bill probably won’t pass, we can’t let our guard down. They still have 8 days left–who knows what they might try. We have to ramp up the pressure and be louder than we’ve ever been before.
Here’s what you can do:
- Call your Members of Congress. You can find phone numbers for your Representative and Senators’ offices at contactingcongress.org. You can make your own scripts when you contact your elected officials, or use ours:
If you find it easier to leave an answering machine message than to talk to a staffer on the phone, call after 5 PM. If you don’t speak, you can call using your AAC device, or get a friend to call in and read your message.
- Submit your story regarding how the bill will affect you to GCHcomments@finance.senate.gov. Comments sent here will be used in Monday’s hearing regarding the bill. We need to hear from everyone, especially people with disabilities and/or pre-existing conditions, Medicaid recipients and waiver-services recipients. Click here for more information.
- Email your Members of Congress. Access Living has an email tool you can use.
- Talk to your Members of Congress at town halls and other public appearances. From today through Monday, your Senators and Representative are back in their home state. You can find their public appearances listed on their websites, and you can also check TownHallProject.com.
- Attend a local rally. In the next week, lots of community organizations will be holding rallies to save health care, and they will need a disability presence. Check with other civil rights and social justice organizations in your area, and be on the lookout for actions that might be organized with very little notice.
- Get ready for call-in day, happening this Monday!
This is crunch time. We have 8 days to save Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. We stopped ACA repeal with our collective voice before, and we can do it again. No matter how you speak, it is time to raise your voice once again and let Congress know that when it comes to health care, there is nothing about us, without us!