From CU's President: Pressure still needed on health reform

In a recent column I talked about how, for the very first time in Consumers Union’s history, we decided to air a TV ad about health care.  In the ad we talk about the high cost of health care for consumers and the serious need for reform.

CU has advocated for health reform since our organization was founded in 1936.  But this was the first time we had ever run a TV ad that called on policymakers to find solutions for more affordable, reliable care.

The ad aired last month in Washington, D.C.  Following the success of the ad, we sent an e-mail to our “e-activists” to ask for their help in raising money to run the ad elsewhere.  The money was raised through the Consumers Union Action Fund, which we started three years ago.  The response was overwhelmingly positive, and we are now planning to air the ad in the state of Maine.

Why Maine?  For the past year, our consumer advocates have been working in states like Maine to hear consumers’ personal stories about health care.  We’ve gone door-to-door to meet Mainers and find out how they’re dealing with the cost of health care.  Some people told us how they’ve had to cut back on the care they needed because they could no longer afford it.  We heard people’s concerns about losing their health coverage or having their care denied by an insurance company.  

Today in Washington, Maine’s lawmakers are playing an important role in the health care debate.  We’ve collected the stories we heard from Mainers and shared them with their members of Congress.  Now we’re running the ad in Maine to press for reform. 

We’re not a political group.  We’re independent and nonpartisan.  In the Washington debate over health care, we don’t care which side gets credit or blame.  We just want better health care for consumers, and we want the voice of consumers to be heard.

—Jim Guest, president, Consumers Union

Read more about our health advocacy efforts and our coverage of health-care reform.

Comments

[David Scott]

I have been a member for decades and will be canceling my membership immediately. I have always had respect for Consumer Reports because of its non biased approach to testing produts. Now I see they have become more an activist group while I was not looking. We have enough ACORNS out there and I just wanted good product research. I would encourage all of you out there like me who blindly renew every year not knowing how this organization has changed. Go look at the Consumerunion website and see if you dont agree.