Breast cancer survivors are playing a growing role in the push toward a public option for health insurance.
A coalition of progressive groups including MoveOn, Democracy for America and Change Congress released a minute-long TV ad in Louisiana today to increase the pressure on Democratic U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu to support a public option for health insurance. Landrieu recently told the Huffington Post that she thinks a public option "undermines the essence of our efforts to create a real market-based private sector model."
The TV ad features Karen Gadbois, a breast cancer survivor who was named 2008 New Orleanian of the Year for exposing corruption after Hurricane Katrina. Even though she works full-time, Gadbois is uninsured because she can't afford to pay the premiums. The ad takes Landrieu to task for accepting $1.6 million in campaign contributions from health care and insurance companies:
A separate effort is targeting Sen. Kay Hagan of North Carolina, another Democrat who opposes the public option. Three-time breast cancer survivor Jane Hamsher of the blog Firedoglake along with folks behind the progressive North Carolina political blog BlueNC and Pam's House Blend (published by Pam Spaulding, a board member of the nonprofit Institute for Southern Studies that publishes Facing South) are gathering the signatures of breast cancer survivors on a petition that they plan to deliver to Hagan's office on Friday.
As Hamsher writes:
We survived because we had the medical treatment that many of our sisters who died did not. As survivors we want to speak out and demand access to health care for the women whose battle is before them.Breast cancer survivors are invited to sign the petition here. The photos of some of those who've already signed are featured in the image at the top of this story.
AMERICA’S NATIONAL HEALTHCARE EMERGENCY!
It’s official. America and the World are now in a GLOBAL PANDEMIC. A World EPIDEMIC with potential catastrophic consequences for ALL of the American people. The first PANDEMIC in 41 years. And WE THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES will have to face this PANDEMIC with the 37th worst quality of healthcare in the developed World.
STAND READY AMERICA TO SEIZE CONTROL OF YOUR NATIONAL HEALTHCARE SYSTEM.
We spend over twice as much of our GDP on healthcare as any other country in the World. And Individual American spend about ten times as much out of pocket on healthcare as any other people in the World. All because of GREED! And the PRIVATE FOR PROFIT healthcare system in America.
And while all this is going on, some members of congress seem mostly concern about how to protect the corporate PROFITS! of our GREED DRIVEN, PRIVATE FOR PROFIT NATIONAL DISGRACE. A PRIVATE FOR PROFIT DISGRACE that is in fact, totally valueless to the public health. And a detriment to national security, public safety, and the public health.
Progressive democrats the Tri-Caucus and others should stand firm in their demand for a robust public option for all Americans, with all of the minimum requirements progressive democrats demanded. If congress can not pass a robust public option with at least 51 votes and all robust minimum requirements, congress should immediately move to scrap healthcare reform and request that President Obama declare a state of NATIONAL HEALTHCARE EMERGENCY! Seizing and replacing all PRIVATE FOR PROFIT health insurance plans with the immediate implementation of National Healthcare for all Americans under the provisions of HR676 (A Single-payer National Healthcare Plan For All).
Coverage can begin immediately through our current medicare system. With immediate expansion through recruitment of displaced workers from the canceled private sector insurance industry. Funding can also begin immediately by substitution of payroll deductions for private insurance plans with payroll deductions for the national healthcare plan. This is what the vast majority of the American people want. And this is what all objective experts unanimously agree would be the best, and most cost effective for the American people and our economy.
In Mexico on average people who received medical care for A-H1N1 (Swine Flu) with in 3 days survived. People who did not receive medical care until 7 days or more died. This has been the same results in the US. But 50 million Americans don’t even have any healthcare coverage. And at least 200 million of you with insurance could not get in to see your private insurance plans doctors in 2 or 3 days, even if your life depended on it. WHICH IT DOES!
If President Obama has to declare a NATIONAL STATE OF EMERGENCY to rescue the American people from our healthcare crisis, he will need all the sustained support you can give him. STICK WITH HIM! He’s doing a brilliant job.
THIS IS THE BIG ONE!
THE BATTLE OF GOOD Vs EVIL!
Join the fight.
Contact congress and your representatives NOW! AND SPREAD THE WORD!
God Bless You
Jacksmith – WORKING CLASS
July 1, 2009 8:20 PM | Reply
Anyone with breast cancer or interested in preventing this condition should know about the data on vitamin D. The data on vitamin D deficiency leading to cancer is as strong as the evidence that smoking causes cancer. The Canadian Cancer society started recommending that everyone take vitamin D to prevent cancer over two years ago but still very few outside Canada know this. There is also very good data suggesting that breast cancer patients do much better when their vitamin D levels are optimal.
July 3, 2009 10:31 AM | Reply
Hey I agree with Mike . Women with breast cancer who have a vitamin D deficiency at the time of diagnosis are more likely to have a recurrence or to die from this disease. I learnt about this from an article at caring.com. Its really helpful for those who want to know more about the disease.
http://www.caring.com/news/low-levels-of-vitamin-d-spell-trouble-for-breast-cancer-patients
July 31, 2009 2:06 AM | Reply