Speaking to a crowd in Ohio this afternoon, President Obama spoke passionately about the reasons he is fighting so hard for health reform, and told the story of one of the countless Americans he is fighting for: Natoma Canfield, an Ohio woman without insurance who was diagnosed with leukemia last Saturday.
Natoma wrote a letter to the President last year, after she heard that her health insurance rates would be rising by 40%. Unable to pay for such an increase, Natoma’s last month with insurance was this January. Natoma had cancer 16-years ago, and hoped that she wouldn't get sick again.
Last week, Natoma was rushed to the hospital, where after a series of tests she was diagnosed with leukemia. Still in the hospital today, she now faces more than a month of chemotherapy -- along with worries about how she'll pay for her treatment without insurance.
The President told the Ohio crowd:
“You want to know why I’m here, Ohio? I’m here because of Natoma. I’m here because of the countless others who have been forced to face the most terrifying challenges in their lives with the added burden of medical bills they can’t pay. I don't think that’s right. Neither do you. That’s why we need health insurance right now. Health insurance reform right now.
I’m here because of my own mother’s story. She died of cancer, and in the last six months of her life, she was on the phone in her hospital room arguing with insurance companies instead of focusing on getting well and spending time with her family.
I’m here because of the millions who are denied coverage because of preexisting conditions or dropped from coverage when they get sick.
I’m here because of the small businesses who are forced to choose between health care and hiring.
I’m here because of the seniors unable to afford the prescriptions that they need.
I’m here because of the folks seeing their premiums go up 20 and 30 and 40 and 50 and 60 percent in a year.
Ohio, I am here because that is not the America I believe in and that’s not the America that you believe in.”
Today, the White House's health reform number of the day is 1.
1 in every six dollars in the U.S. economy is spent on health care today. And if we do nothing, 1 out of every three dollars will go toward health care in 30 years.
Here is just some of what could happen if we don't pass reform, from a new report highlighted on the White House blog:
- Families will face dramatically higher health care costs. Individual and family spending on premiums and out-of-pocket health care costs will increase significantly. Spending would jump 34 percent by 2015 and 79 percent by 2020.
- Premiums will become increasingly expensive for employers and their workers. Premiums for both single and family policies would more than double by 2020, increasing from $4,800 to $10,300 for single policies, and from $12,100 to $25,600 for family policies.
- Employers will see large increases in premium costs. Employer spending on premiums would increase from $430 billion in 2010 to $851 billion in 2020 -- a 98 percent increase.
- Many small and medium sized firms would quit offering health care coverage to workers. As premiums nearly double, employees in small firms would see offers of health insurance almost cut in half, dropping from 41 percent of firms offering insurance in 2010 to 23 percent in 2020. Medium-sized firms would also cut offers of health insurance, dropping from 90 percent in 2010 to 75 percent in 2020.
Learn more about last week's Health Reform by the Numbers.
41. That's the number of leading economists -- including three Nobel Prize winners -- who sent a letter to President Obama and Congress yesterday urging swift passage of health reform to rein in out-of-control costs. It is also the percentage of adults under age 65 who struggled with medical debt, had trouble paying medical bills, or faced both during a recent year.
625. That's the number of people who lost their health insurance EVERY hour last year.
8. That's the number of people every minute who are denied coverage, charged a higher rate, or otherwise discriminated against because of a pre-existing condition. It's also the number of lobbyists hired by special interests to influence health reform for every member of Congress in 2009.
$1,125. That's the average premium for employer-sponsored family coverage per month last year. Annually, it adds up to $13,375 -- roughly the amount someone earning a minimum wage makes.
UPDATED: The even has now ended.
At 1:05 p.m. Eastern Time, President Obama will speak on health insurance reform at a senior center in Strongsville, Ohio.
Northeastern Ohio is the home of Natoma Canfield, a self-employed cancer survivor who wrote the President a letter about her situation and why we need reform. Last year, Natoma learned that her health insurance premiums would be rising by 40 percent. Unable to afford the rising rates, Natoma gave up her health insurance in January. Last week, she was rushed to the hospital, and on Saturday, after being cancer-free for more than a decade, Natoma was diagnosed with leukemia.
The President read Natoma's letter to a meeting with health insurance executives in the White House earlier this month.
Last Thursday, hundreds of Michiganders gathered at Congressman Mark Schauer's office to show that they support health reform and stand behind their representative's efforts. Volunteers from Organizing for America and other groups supporting health reform overwhelmingly outnumbered the anti-reform protesters, as they did at rallies across the country that day.
His voice still recovering from leading chants on the megaphone, Michigan State Director Garrett Arwa told us the story of Thursday’s rally at Congressman Schauer’s office -- which showed how OFA's efforts have made a real impact:
"We got word that there was going to be an anti-health reform protest at Congressman Mark Schauer's office in Jackson, Michigan -- the birthplace of the Republican Party -- so we decided to organize a pro-health reform rally.
We started emailing our lists, getting other organizations on board, from labor to progressive groups. In three days, we were able to out-organize the anti-reform protesters. We had upwards of 300 people there, they had only 40 or 50.
One woman who had RSVP’d as a ‘maybe’ ended up going to the rally, and she called and thanked us afterward for what we did. Someone came up to our field director and showed her medical bills, saying “This is why I’m here.”
It was a great event, and we’re optimistic and working as hard as ever to make sure we succeed. We were there to support health reform – but also to be there for Congressman Schauer, who has been vocal about his support.
We met with his staff the day after the event, and they were thankful that we'd been there. They know they’re heading into a tough election season, and we’ve worked really well together.
They also told us that the rally reinforced the Congressman’s vote in support of reform. They said it definitely helped the Congressman to know that not only is it the right thing to do, but that his constituents support reform, and that’s very important to him."
So far, OFA volunteers have pledged over nine million hours nationwide to fight for candidates who fight for health insurance reform.
Today marks the fifth day of the Final March for Reform. All weekend long, OFA volunteers have been gathering at phone banks across the country to call voters in critical districts, asking them to call their representatives in support of health reform.
On Thursday, Georgia Congressman Hank Johnson posted to his official Twitter and Facebook accounts:
"My office is receiving dozens of calls per hour in favor of Health Care Reform. I hear you. I'm with you. We will see this through."
Events will be continuing throughout the week as well, all the way up to the final vote in the House, which could take place later this week. Click here to find an upcoming event near you.
In this week's address, President Obama plan to overhaul No Child Left Behind, as well as the latest steps from his Administration to encourage innovation and success in America’s schools at the local level.
Debates in Washington tend to be consumed with the politics of the moment: who’s up in the daily polls; whose party stands to gain in November. But what matters to you – what matters to our country – is not what happens in the next election, but what we do to lift up the next generation. And the fact is, there are few issues that speak more directly to our long term success as a nation than issues concerning the education we provide to our children.
Yet, too often we have failed to make inroads in reforming and strengthening our public education system – the debate mired in worn arguments hurled across entrenched divides.
As a result, over the last few decades, we’ve lost ground. One assessment shows American fifteen year olds no longer even near the top in math and science when compared to their peers around the world. As referenced in the news report I mentioned, we’ve now fallen behind most wealthy countries in our high school graduation rates. And while we once led the world in the proportion of college graduates we produced, today we no longer do.
...on Monday, my administration will send to Congress our blueprint for an updated Elementary and Secondary Education Act to overhaul No Child Left Behind. What this plan recognizes is that while the federal government can play a leading role in encouraging the reforms and high standards we need, the impetus for that change will come from states, and from local schools and school districts. So, yes, we set a high bar – but we also provide educators the flexibility to reach it.
Under these guidelines, schools that achieve excellence or show real progress will be rewarded, and local districts will be encouraged to commit to change in schools that are clearly letting their students down. For the majority of schools that fall in between – schools that do well but could do better – we will encourage continuous improvement to help keep our young people on track for a bright future: prepared for the jobs of the 21st century. And because the most important factor in a child’s success is the person standing at the front of the classroom, we will better prepare teachers, support teachers, and encourage teachers to stay in the field. In short, we’ll treat the people who educate our sons and daughters like the professionals they are.
Through this plan we are setting an ambitious goal: all students should graduate from high school prepared for college and a career – no matter who you are or where you come from. Achieving this goal will be difficult. It will take time. And it will require the skills, talents, and dedication of many: principals, teachers, parents, students. But this effort is essential for our children and for our country. And while there will always be those cynics who claim it can’t be done, at our best, we know that America has always risen to the challenges that we’ve faced. This challenge is no different.
Yesterday, hundreds of OFA volunteers and allies in North Carolina, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Illinois rallied to make it clear to their members of Congress that constituents support health reform -- and want their representatives to vote 'yes' on the President's plan. In each state, supporters of reform chanted, marched, and held signs, vastly outnumbering opponents of reform.
And check out some of the news from the events in North Carolina and Michigan:
The Charlotte Observer (North Carolina):
Meanwhile, Organizing for America, an arm of the national Democratic Party, has been conducting phone banks, letter-writing campaigns and other efforts to convince Etheridge and other Democrats to support the president.
Their most recent project, called "The Final March for Reform," is designed to get members of Obama's former campaign organization in North Carolina to volunteer for legislators who support health care.
So far, 284,605 volunteer hours have been pledged for U.S. House members from North Carolina who voted for health care.
The message seems clear: Help the president with health care, and we'll watch your back at election time.
Lindsay Siler, state director of Organizing for America, said she thinks there has been a shift since the town hall meetings of last summer, which were dominated by opponents of the Democratic health care proposals.
She said now she sees little opposition as she travels the state.
"We are packing rooms with people ready to get involved."
North Carolina NBC 17 Raleigh:
The political push is on in Raleigh to sway Congressional votes on health care reform.
Ralliers both for and against the current proposal demonstrated outside U.S. Representative Bob Etheridge's office Thursday afternoon.
Approximately 50 tea partiers organized by the group NC Freedom chanted: "Bob say no!", "Bob say no!"
Across Fayetteville Street in downtown Raleigh, slightly more than 200 supporters of President Obama's grassroots organization Organizing For America responded with: "Thank you Bob! , Thank you, Bob."
Congressman Bob Etheridge has voted in favor of reform, but the bill has changed during reconciliation.
Michigan WILX:
For the second time, hundreds of people gathered outside Congressman Mark Schauer's Office, each with differing opinions.
There are those who say the current health care system is broken and needs to be fixed. The plan on the table is the way to go.
"This will expand access and introduce competition into the system," Erin Knott of Michigan Citizen Action said. "No longer will insurance companies be able to exclude people due to pre-existing conditions."
"Heath care decisions should be made by people and doctors, not by insurance companies," Aletheia Henry, the state director of Organizing for America, said.
Michigan Jackson Citizen Patriot:
Supporters of the plan moving through Congress led chants using megaphones, and others carried homemade signs or picked up professionally made signs on the sidewalk near Schauer's office. Supporters were rallied by groups including Organizing for America, the Laborers' International Union of North America and Health Care for America Now.
The crowd filled all four corners of the N. West Avenue and W. Ganson Street intersection, and passing drivers slowed down or honked.
This weekend, as the next step in the final march for health reform, OFA supporters are gathering at volunteer phone banks across the country. With a vote on health reform coming as soon as next week, they’ll be calling voters in critical districts, asking them to reach out to their representatives and express their strong support for reform. Click here to join an event near you.
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