While most people now associate the effort to ensure that all Americans have access to high quality, affordable medical care with Bill and Hillary Clinton’s failed attempt to reform the insurance industry in 1993, the concept was first proposed by Teddy Roosevelt’s Bull Moose Party in 1912. Since then eight presidents: Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama, have proposed or supported legislation designed to achieve the goal of bringing universal coverage to the United States.

Today, thanks to President Obama’s leadership and supportive Democratic majorities in Congress, America stands closer than ever to substantive health care reform. On Tuesday, July 14, House Democrats introduced America’s Affordable Health Choices Act, comprehensive legislation that will, according to its sponsors, “…ensure that 97 percent of Americans will be covered by a health care plan that is both affordable and offers quality, standard benefits by 2019.” On July 15 the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee approved its reform bill on a strict party line vote. That bill will now be considered by the Senate Finance Committee.

As the history of health care reform teaches us, however, introduction of the bill is merely the beginning of the battle.  Republicans and their allies in the pharmaceutical and insurance industries, big and small business, the AMA, and conservative talk radio have been actively opposing President Obama’s reform efforts for months and will now unleash a fierce attack against the Health Choices Act.

In order to win the war for reform, President Obama, Congressional Democrats, organized labor and other reform advocates will need your help. This page provides all the information activists will need to actively and aggressively participate in the health care debate whether it’s taking place at the kitchen table, in the break room at work, or on talk radio.

So please don’t sit on the sidelines. Get educated and get involved. Together we will win this fight for the future of America.

Mythbusting

In the coming weeks the anti-reform forces will use scare tactics in an attempt to undermine public support for reform. They’ll circulate myths, tell half-truths, fudge statistics, and yes, they flat out lie. Fortunately, we’re here to tell the truth, to be mythbusters.

Let’s start by setting the record straight about one of the anti-reformers’ favorite targets: the Canadian health care system.  According to the anti-reform fibbers, sick Canadians are lined up at the border clamoring to enter the U.S. so they can have legs that were broken months ago set, have festering tumors removed, or have their hemorrhoids fixed.

Problem is, they’re lying. Follow the links below to learn more about the Canadian system, including the fact that 82% of our neighbors to the north think their system is superior to ours. So the next time you hear Dan Rivers or another talk radio yakker lying about the Canadian system call and stick jam a rhetorical hockey puck in their ear.

Harris/decima poll on Canadian health care system

Campaign for America’s Future: Mythbusting Canadian Health Care Part 1

Campaign for America’s Future: Mythbusting Canadian Health Care Part 2

How the U.S. measures up to Canadian Health Care: Interview with Princeton Professor Uwe Reinhardt

Americans who’ve used Canadian health care system respond to current big lie media campaign

Malignant melanomas on the face of America: The top health care reform liars

Rick Scott, former CEO of HCA/America the hospital company that was, according to an article in The Nation investigated by the FBI for various types of health care fraud. Days after agents raided company facilities armed with search warrants, Scott was forced to resign. In 2000 the company pleaded guilty to fraud and agreed to pay the government $840 million. Other civil settlements would follow, ultimately totaling a staggering $1.7 billion, making it the largest fraud case in American history.

Knowing how to rip the government off for billions clearly makes Scott a credible voice in the reform debate. Not!  Here’s a clue, if you hear or see an ad attacking the Canadian or British health care systems run by an outfit called Conservatives for Patients’ Rights it’s really Scott and it may have been paid for with some of the tax dollars he helped steal.

Rush Limbaugh. The name should be enough, but here’s some of Rush’s health care whoppers:

There is no crisis. ... The crisis in health care here has been manufactured.

You have to understand this, single payer government provided, whatever you want to call it. Once that happens then virtually every activity that you engage in can be controlled, because they can say it relates to how much health costs the government’s going to have. Your kids may not be able to use a swing set anymore, maybe too dangerous. You may not be able to buy a TV that hangs on the wall because it might fall on your kid and break his head. I am not making this up.

So he's [Obama has] moved on to health care. This is highly visible, it's news leading, gets a great focus, plus it has the great liberal lion Teddy Kennedy pushing it. Before it's all over it will be called the Ted Kennedy Memorial Health Care Bill.

Sean Hannity, even more odious than Rush, believe it or not.

There is not one person who can walk into a medical facilty that can legally be denied because of their inability to pay, so we already have a system in place…and we’re going to have a government rationing body that tells women with breast cancer, you’re dead.

Another story of universal health care gone awry. Now, this one from our vault: Now, a couple of years ago, a 55-year-old man in the U.K., he ran into trouble when he couldn't find a dentist OKed by the government. So he superglued his tooth together for a period of three years.

Well, you can't really taste it, but you do have to be careful not to use it too much in case you glue your mouth shut.  [IF] the Democrats have their way, get your superglue ready.

Take Action: Sign a petition now

A number of credible groups are circulating petitions that provide Americans to register their support for real health care reform.  Click the links below to make your voice heard:

Organizing for America, the advocacy group that evolved from President Obama’s campaign committee is now gathering support for his health care reform drive.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/healthcarestories

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is featuring a reform petition on its website. The site also contains the latest information about the health care debate and a wide range of other issues.

http://www.dccc.org/healthcare

Stand with Dr. Dean is sponsored by Democracy for America. The site features an on-line petition and updated news about the health care reform battle.

http://standwithdrdean.com/

Stand up for Health Care is sponsored by Families USA.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/475170350

The Health Care Now petition is being circulated by advocates of a single payer system.

http://www.healthcare-now.org/petition/