Ideas for health care changes.

[Guest guest]

Dear ,

In response to my e-mail last week, our community developed hundreds of

ideas. They came from nurses, business owners, and many of the 46 million

uninsured Americans.

Your ideas on healthcare yielded thoughts that included many shared

themes--preventive healthcare, efficient management, portability, and

discussions

about reaching the goal of universal coverage of all Americans.

We will wrap up the healthcare discussion in the next week, so please take a

moment to think of someone who might have an idea or story to tell and ask

them to join our conversation:

_http://www.heartlandpac.org/healthcareideas_

(http://www.heartlandpac.org/page/m/l8ns2obvqek/zME5v0)

The responses are powerful because your ideas are informed both by your

personal experiences and knowledge. As health care consumers, we are all

confronted with the shortcomings of our healthcare system.

I want to share a few of them with you:

" I would like to see more emphasis on preventive health care and well

patient health screenings. We should be rewarding those who maintain good

health

with yearly FREE exams and discounted costs if they are ever accidentally

injured. "

-- Iris of Fayetteville, AR

" Healthcare should not be tied to employment status. That assumes that human

beings are only important as workers. My children and I have had to change

doctors 3 times in the past 2 years, once because my employer changed HMOs,

once because I changed jobs, and once because the doctors stopped accepting our

HMO. I had no choice in any of these, and I was fully covered the whole

time. And unemployed/self-employed people deserve healthcare too! Maybe if each

state treated its residents as a " group " they could negotiate decent group

rates for their residents. "

-- Frances of Alameda, CA

" Your healthcare policy needs to include small business owners, possibly

access to a buying group. "

" Your healthcare policy needs to force insurance carriers to provide

healthcare benefits to those with previously existing conditions. "

" In my family of three, we pay $700 per month for health insurance. We are

not covered for our pre-existing conditions. We pay hundreds of dollars a

month in addition for medications and treatments not covered by our policy. I

was

lucky enough to obtain a grant to pay for some of this care. My husband owns

a small business and I work outside the home ... "

-- of Cedar Rapids, IA

These are just a few of the ideas and stories that have been submitted. Over

the next few days we will post more ideas on the Heartland PAC website for

discussion, so if you know anyone you would want to take part, ask them to

join us now:

_http://www.heartlandpac.org/healthcareideas_

(http://www.heartlandpac.org/page/m/l8ns2obvqek/zME5v0)

Just as we did with the education discussion, your ideas will be sent to

Democratic governors and candidates across the country when we are finished

with

the discussion. "

" Your input in this discussion on healthcare is part of our effort to regain

the majority of the statehouses for democrats in 2006. With 36 contested

Governors races this year, healthcare will be a central issue in each of these

races. Your ideas are a valuable part in helping to solve this issue for each

of the Democratic candidates working to win this year.

Thank you participating in this important discussion.

Best,

Tom Vilsack

PS: If you have not submitted an idea already please do so today before we

compile them all for deilvery to the Democratic governors and candidates:

_http://www.heartlandpac.org/healthcare_

(http://www.heartlandpac.org/page/m/l8ns2obvqek/Wne32l)

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