Nurses have the power to change the conversation on health care – starting with your senators, right now.
Can you speak out for your patients today? A two-minute phone call could make all the difference for patients who are on the brink of losing their health insurance.
Just dial 1-202-224-3121 to reach the Capitol Switchboard and an operator will connect you to your senator’s office.
When you’re connected, here are some pointers to guide your conversation:
- Share your name and your town or city so they’ll know you’re a constituent.
- Tell the staffer that you are a nurse, and you’re concerned that patients like yours could lose access to health care if the Affordable Care Act is repealed.
- Remind them that insurance costs were skyrocketing before the ACA went into effect, and that without it, millions of people would have simply been priced out of healthcare already.1
- Explain that, as a nurse, you want to share your personal story of how you experience the healthcare system. Share your vision for what is working and what is not, and what Washington can do to fix those problems.
- Finally, thank them for their time. If you have another minute, call the switchboard again and ask to speak to your other senator’s office.
Once you’re done, let us know you’ve made your call so we can keep track of which senators are hearing from nurses and hold them accountable here in Washington.
Yes, I called my senator’s office and spoke with a staffer.
Yes, I called both my senators’ offices and spoke with their staff.
No, I wasn’t able to get through, but I’ll try again later!
Thank you for taking care of your patients every day, and thank you for speaking out today. Nurses like you truly are making a difference in Washington!
What about we Republican nurses who do not agree with ACA and have heard the horrible experiences of those who have had their premiums doubled? What voice do we have? As a member of ANA, I feel I should have an equal say regarding the repeal of ACA. But feel I don’t have a voice because the association thinks it speaks for me, but it doesn’t.
To better judge your concern, would love to learn more of the details re the “horrible experiences of those who have had their premiums doubled”. Its my understanding that before the ACA, the annual premium rates were escalating by 25% each year for more than a decade…(based on reports by Zeke Zekiel, MD and co-author of the ACA bill)…doubling from baseline costs were still less than what was projected without ACA….please help educate me..
There were many people who had their premiums that were doubled per my patient’s reports. Likewise, there were so many without any coverage at all, but quite honestly, the deductibles are way to high for the average American worker, and this is hindering our ability to provide care to patients, because they will not get tests performed, or pick up medications, because their insurance covers nothing until they meet their deductible. So, patients are delaying care until they are in crisis mode (COPD and they end up in the ICU hypoxic). This is not good for our chronically ill patient, but I do not believe any patient should have to pay a $5000 – $10,000 deductible before they can get help with healthcare coverage. We are rendering the very group of patients we want to help, (and others), with essentially no coverage still. We have NOT met the needs of the those in greatest need by providing a product that is of no use to them. Not to mention forcing people into medical bankruptcy does nothing to help our economy, or quite frankly the institutions that are never paid for the care they provide. This is different that the free care they all already provide for the indigent. We have to find a better way to provide health insurance, help those who are sick with chronic illnesses, make patient’s accountable for their healthcare, that doesn’t end up bankrupting all of us.