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Thanks to everyone for your steadfast
efforts this month in making district visits, calling your
representatives, and raising your voices for immigrant inclusion.
It's been a stifling month combating the anti-health care reform and
anti-immigrant opponents. We need to step up now with one clear
voice and demand that, when Congress returns to work in 2 weeks, it
should stand up and fight to provide fair opportunities for affordable
health care for immigrants!
"Back to School" Actions You Can Take
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Ask members of Congress to champion
the elimination of the 5-year waiting period for legal
immigrants. See below for step-by-step suggestions.
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Send a "letter to the editor" to your
local newspaper. Click
here for a
sample letter.
Demand that Congress Stand Up for Access to
Affordable Health Care for Legal Immigrants
Despite all the misinformation about
immigrants and health care that's been disseminated this month,
low-income, newly arrived legal immigrant adults face a five-year
waiting period for access to Medicaid, an affordable health care
coverage program. There's still no honest discussion about the
harm and unfairness to legal immigrants of this waiting period and about
why Congress has not yet removed this barrier and may actually be
imposing other waiting periods on legal immigrants.
Let's make clear to Congress: No
more waiting for health care reform and no more waiting periods for
affordable health care!
Tell Congress to Stand Up for Immigrants
Whom to Contact:
Your state and district congressional representatives. In
particular, reach out to members of the Progressive Caucus in the House
of Representatives to champion immigrant inclusion.
Progressive Caucus:
List of members
Contact information for members of the Progressive Caucus
What Your Representative and Senators
Need to Do:
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Be a champion in the House or Senate
to eliminate the waiting period for legal immigrants for Medicaid
and other potential barriers.
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Talk to other members of Congress and
to congressional leadership to demand that:
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The final House and/or Senate
health reform bill includes language that mandatorily eliminates
the five year waiting period in Medicaid for legal immigrants.
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The final health reform bill does
NOT impose NEW waiting periods for affordable health care for
immigrants.
How They Can Help:
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Sign, circulate, and champion a "Dear
Colleague" letter demanding fairness and equity for legal immigrants
to affordable health care.
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Cosponsor an amendment to mandatorily
eliminate the 5-year waiting period, or vote to support an amendment
when it comes up for vote.
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Vote to oppose amendments imposing
additional waiting periods or other barriers to affordable health
care for immigrants.
Key Messages:
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The American public supports fair and
equal access for health care coverage for legal immigrants.
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Congress needs to provide real and
immediate access to affordable health care if health care reform is
going to be seen as real reform.
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No one can afford to wait for health
care. Would you make your family member wait for health care?
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Leadership and the committees of
jurisdiction should allow an honest discussion and a vote on this
issue.
Additional Talking Points and
Materials:
Periodically check the
"Health
Care Reform" section of NILC's "Health Care" webpage for updates and
additional resources.
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