March 31st, 2009:

Friends,

I felt obligated to pass on this email I received yesterday from the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services. The letter thanks me for signing their statement of support for health care reform. I am proud to do so, obviously, due to the sorry state that health care in America has become. What is striking is the activism coming from this government agency. What a breath of fresh air!

I can’t help but imagine how different things would be today had the election in November gone for McCain. This letter would have been worded much differently, if a letter in support of better health care had been sent at all. (I will never tire of reminding folks of how grateful they should be that Obama was elected.)

So go to www.HealthReform.gov and help us out. Read the letter and get active yourself! Health Care Reform is just 60 votes away.

U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services wrote:

The Costs of Inaction

From: U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services [subscriptions@hhs.gov]
Sent: Monday, March 30, 2009 7:43 AM
To: Tom
Subject: The Costs of Inaction

Dear Friend,

Thank you for visiting www.HealthReform.gov and signing the Statement of Support. By signing the Statement of Support you have joined thousands of Americans from communities across this country to call for the enactment of comprehensive health care reform this year.

The Department of Health and Human Services is releasing “The Costs of Inaction,” a new report on www.HealthReform.gov which underscores why health care reform is urgently needed this year. This report includes statistics that illustrate the challenges Americans are facing – from skyrocketing costs to the persistent gaps in health care quality. Read the report.

Please share this report with your family, friends and co-workers (it can be emailed or printed). We hope it will be a helpful tool as you talk with them about how the extraordinarily high cost of health care is hurting the ability of American families to balance their own budgets and the nation’s ability to balance its budget as well. Last month, President Obama told a joint session of Congress that “health care reform cannot wait, it must not wait, and it will not wait another year.” Thank you for supporting the effort to bring meaningful change to the health care system this year.

We must not let up on our efforts to reform the system. We hope that you continue to visit www.HealthReform.gov to seek information and learn about the important ways in which you can help.

In fact, Tuesday, March 31st, the new Director of the White House Office of Health Reform, Nancy-Ann DeParle, will travel to Greensboro, North Carolina, to take part in the fourth White House Regional Forum on Health Reform with North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue, starting at 10:30 am EST. You can watch it live and submit a question for the town hall discussion at www.HealthReform.gov

Check out the other three White House Regional Forums on Health Reform that have already taken place in Iowa, Vermont, and Michigan.

The President is committed to seeking your input as he works with Congress to enact health reform this year. To stay up to date on the health reform effort in the months ahead, visit www.HealthReform.gov.

And enjoy this new report, “The Costs of Inaction.”

Thank you,

Jenny Backus
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

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