The big change to full-scale affordable quality healthcare choices for everyone depends on the issue itself gaining such political importance that the new President (whoever he is) cannot ignore it, and that Congress cannot block it or water it down. People must be active on this issue and demand the change. The main force has to come from the ground; a solely top-down process will look a lot like the one in the early 90’s that fell to the opposition from entrenched interests.

It only takes a moment of thought about the healthcare crisis to remember the problems and get riled up enough to be active. Think about the ever-increasing cost of insurance and of deductibles and co-pays, and the ever-increasing profits of insurance companies and drug companies. Think about the times that your insurance company stands between you and what your doctor recommends for your healthcare. Think about the chance that, without any act or decision on your part, you could lose your insurance because your employer cannot afford it, or because you or your partner loses a job. And think about it being impossible to get insurance because companies can refuse to insure people with pre-existing conditions. Think about almost 50 million Americans who are uninsured, and how none of them can afford to responsibly seek preventive care.

It goes on and on. We have to organize to accomplish this big reform, regardless of who is in the White House. This voter-based demand for reform is what will enable a willing President to successfully lead us there. And it will make any President much more willing.

Fortunately, just such an organizing and advocacy campaign is now underway. It is called Healthcare for America Now. To check out the blog and the website, and, above all, to SIGN UP, go to http://healthcareforamericanow.org/site/blog/. This is the kind of activity that will make it happen. Don’t wait, don’t spectate – take action!

John Bouman
President
Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law