Build Back Better: Email and Call Your Representative & Senators

If you’ve called before, call again!

Democrats have announced a deal to empower Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices as part of the Build Back Better package. It is just a start, but it would be a major setback for Big Pharma that’s difficult to reverse and even harder to justify not expanding in the future. Big Pharma is going to fight until the President’s signature is dry on the bill — so we must keep up the pressure! 

We are sharing today’s action alert of our HCHR member organization WA Community Action Network. We encourage everyone to take one minute to send emails to your Representative and Senators to say you’re counting on them to pass a BBB bill that will lower drug prices, expand Medicare benefits and enact all the proposed healthcare and social infrastructure improvements that Washingtonians so urgently need.

It’s also worthwhile to deliver your message with a phone call. If you’ve called before, call again! Every call is tallied and can make a difference. 

Call the Congressional Switchboard: (202) 224-3121 to deliver this message: 

Keep robust negotiation of lower drug prices and expansion of Medicare benefits in the Build Back Better reconciliation package! A SUPERMAJORITY of the American people support these proposals. 

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Governor Appoints Members to the UHC Commission

Big News! We are pleased with Governor Inslee’s appointments to the new Universal Health Care Commission.

We are awaiting official word on the state electeds and officials who will be joining the Commission.

Three of the appointees were nominated by HCHR, and we look forward to working with them all: 

Commissioners Nominated by HCHR

• Nicole Gomez, Consumer Rep. Nicole is co-founder and Board Secretary of the Alliance for a Healthy Washington  and former HCHR Policy Committee Co-Chair. She is also Chair of the 36th LD Democrats.
  
  
• Vicki Lowe, Tribal Health Representative. Vicki is the Executive Director of the American Indian Health Commission for Washington State. We worked with Vicki on the UHC Work Group and the State Based Universal Health Care Act (currently H.R. 3775). This is the federal bill that states need to design successful universal health plans.

• Mohamed Shidane, Deputy Director, Somali Health Board. We’ve worked with Shidane when he was on the UHC Work Group and he testified at hearings before the WA Legislature for universal health care and has joined our advocacy meetings with members of Congress.

Also Appointed

• Bidisha Mandal, Washington State University Professor researching Health Economics, Health Care Policy and Economics of Gender.
  
  
• Estell Williams, M.D, University of Washington board-certified general surgeon, an Assistant Professor of Surgery, and Executive Director of the Doctor For A Day outreach program through the UW School of Medicine.
  
  
• Stella Vasquez, Corporate Programs Operations Officer, Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic.

Stay tuned for info on the first official UHC Commission meeting. The UHC Commission webpage can be found here.

The Commission is off to a great start!

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Senators Murray & Cantwell NEED to Hear From You

Intense battles are underway in Congress to advance President Biden’s transformative Build Back Better agenda. Industry lobbyists are spending hundreds of millions to block many of its most important proposals, including lowering drug prices and expanding Medicare benefits. At this critical moment, our US Senators need to hear from as many people as possible, so we are sharing the following action alert from our member organization, Washington Community Action Network.

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As Congress negotiates President Biden’s Build Back Better (BBB) reconciliation package, it’s vital that our Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell know that healthcare is a top priority for us. Negotiating lower prescription drug prices is paramount, as the savings will fund much of the expansion in the package.

Email Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell!

HCHR is in solidarity with our many allies fighting for all the President’s transformative proposals:

Healthcare:

• Lowering drug prices for Medicare and all private plans
• Adding hearing, vision and dental benefits to Medicare
• Closing the Medicaid gap in states that did not expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act
• Extending the 2021 premium subsidies in ACA plans in the health benefit exchanges
• Improving maternal health for vulnerable populations

Social infrastructure:

• Expanding home & community-based services for seniors and the disabled
• Universal paid family and medical leave
• Affordable child care
• Free universal pre-K
• 2 years free community college
• Expanded child tax credit
• More affordable housing
• Fighting climate change
• Making corporations and the wealthy to pay their share in taxes

Please take this time to send an email to our senators. Right now, so much is at stake in the fight for Health Justice. We need Senators Murray and Cantwell to be out in front, leading the fight to make sure that we pass all of the President’s BBB proposals – ALL of which will be PAID FOR by savings on drug prices and progressive taxation.

We may not have an opportunity like this again for years to come. Every voice matters in this critical moment. Thank you for your support.

Email Your Senators

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