Five Things You Can Do for Health Care Reform

Get informed.
Read the Harvard Dems Introduction to Health Care Reform (pdf).

Sign your name.
If you know you support a strong public option, sign the Democracy For America petition for a public option. If you don’t want to commit to the public option, send a letter to your representatives in Congress affirming your support for comprehensive health care reform.

Contact your members of Congress and BEAT YALE!
Use the “Get Involved” tool at congress.org to email your representative, your senators, and President Obama to tell them reform can’t wait. Here’s a sample letter.

I’m writing to express my strong support for comprehensive health care reform, and ask you to do the same. As a student, I’m concerned by the fact that 30% of Americans aged 19-29 don’t have health insurance coverage. It is imperative that we bring stability and security to those who currently have insurance, affordable coverage to those who don’t, and rein in the skyrocketing costs of health care.

We are not the first generation to tackle the cause of health care reform, but we must be the last.

If you want to voice your specific support for a public option, you could add to the end of the first paragraph:

I believe we cannot accomplish meaningful reform without a strong public option, which will provide much-needed competition in the insurance market and make affordable health care available to all Americans.

Or, if you prefer the phone, look up your representatives in Congress at congress.org and call their offices to tell them your opinion. Here’s a sample script for your phone call – feel free to modify it with your own story and opinions.

My name is ____________ and I’m a constituent from your hometown calling to express my support for comprehensive health insurance reform, including a strong public option, and to ask Congressman/Congresswoman/Senator __________ to do the same. As a student, I’m concerned by the fact that 30% of Americans aged 19-29 don’t have health insurance coverage. It’s time to bring stability and security to those who currently have insurance, affordable coverage to those who don’t, and rein in the skyrocketing costs of health care.

Plus, help Harvard beat Yale! Register your commitment with Organizing For America – be sure to check the box labeled “This Person Commits to Calling Their Representatives in Congress,” and type “Harvard” in the “Additional Information” box.

Join the photo petition.
Take a notecard or a piece of paper and a marker. Write down your reason for supporting universal health care. Take a head-and-shoulders photo of yourself holding up the card. Then email it to harvarddems@gmail.com along with your name, age, and hometown. If you’re a Harvard student, include your house, class, and concentration as well.

Pass it on.
Online, you can email your friends a link to harvarddems.com/fivethings. Or spread it by Facebook, GChat, AIM, or Twitter. And don’t underestimate the power of person-to-person contact!

You can also download your favorite “Reform Can Wait” or “Reform CAN’T Wait” poster from our collection, where they’re available in both pdf and jpg format. Make one your Facebook profile picture, and print one out and post it on your door.