ACTIONS
Raising Women's Voices actively mobilizes our diverse national network of women's health activists and professionals to ensure that the promise of health reform is realized.
With our "kitchen table" wisdom about what changes would make the American health care system more affordable, accessible and easy to navigate, Raising Women's Voices encourages women to get involved with the political process by letting lawmakers know what is important to us and our families. Check out our latest actions below and raise your voice alongside ours!
Current Action
RWV Action Alert: Tell Washington contraception is prevention!
The new health care reform law will lower the cost of preventive services for women by eliminating co-pays and deductibles for these services in all new insurance plans. Amazingly, however, there is no guarantee that “preventive services” will be defined to include birth control!
For the Full Action Alert Release Click Here
Past Action
Tell Washington Now! Safeguard Women's Health:
Don't Ban Abortion Coverage
Health care reform was supposed to help women by providing affordable coverage through new Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plans. But, government rules for these plans say abortion won’t be covered if it would “only” safeguard a woman’s health. These rules will deny women with pre-existing conditions the care they desperately needs. Click the image above to tell Washington to protect women’s health! Take Action Now!
Past Action
RWV Action Alert: Protect the Public Health and Prevention Fund!
One of the most important provisions of the new health reform law (the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act or PPACA) is under attack.
Senator Mike Johanns (R-NE) proposed an amendment that will eliminate much of the funding for the Public Health and Prevention Fund within PPACA. The Johanns Amendment would cut $11 billion from the $15 billion Public Health and Prevention Fund to pay for a change in business-tax reporting rules. This Fund is one of the few parts of the new law that does not send billions of dollars to insurance companies. Instead, it provides resources directly to communities to create and implement public health and prevention programs that work best for them. The Johanns Amendment is scheduled for a vote on September 14th, so we need your voices now urging it be rejected.
For the Full Action Alert click here.
Past Action
We’re nearing the finish line on health reform, and we need your voice NOW. Help us stop Stupak!
We need to push back once more against the anti-choice demagoguery of Rep. Bart Stupak, who is vowing to take health reform down if he doesn’t get what he wants. What is he demanding? A promise to allow a vote on his proposed ban on any abortion coverage in health reform.
Stupak says he has 12 votes, including his own, that he can deliver for health reform if Pelosi caves in to his demands. Who are these Democrats who are willing to hold up and potentially doom the President’s major initiative in order to satisfy their anti-choice politics? See the list here. The only way Pelosi can avoid striking a bargain with Stupak is if she can find enough votes without him.
That’s where you come in! Take action NOW to stop Stupak!
There are a number of Democratic representatives around the country who did not vote for the House health reform bill last fall, and also voted no on Stupak’s anti-abortion amendment. They need to be persuaded to vote yes this time on the Senate health reform bill. These include people like Representatives Scott Murphy and Michael McMahon of New York and Brian Baird of WashingtonState. Here are two lists you can use to find out if your representative is one of these. Find out how to contact them by clicking here.
What should you say? Keep it simple:
Women and our families need health reform this year, so we are urging you to vote for it this time. Please let Nancy Pelosi know she has your vote, so she won’t have to make a deal with Rep. Bart Stupak that will hurt women’s ability to buy health coverage that includes all of our reproductive health needs.
President Obama's health care reform proposal would make a tangible difference for the women, our families and our communities. It would end the practice of dropping coverage because of pre-existing conditions; extend health care coverage to more than 30 million Americans; protect women against gender discrimination by private insurers; ensure access to maternity care for women; and provide access to affordable preventive screenings for cancer and other life-saving tests.
We need your voices today. Join us!