NEW YORK (RushPRNews)10/21/08–With the economy continuing to worsen, this hope for change isn’t hard to understand. Health care premiums have risen 86% between 2000 and 2006, putting a strain on working families. In fact, health care costs are the #1 cause of bankruptcy in the United States. The rising cost of health is being born by working families, American businesses, and the government.

To keep American workers at their best, and to keep American business competitive in the world, something has to change. Ask your senators and representatives if they’re for quality, affordable health care for all? Or whether they’re with the insurance companies, working to preserve our broken system?

Health Care for America Now (HCAN) is an unprecedented coalition of more than 135 national and state-based groups that represent labor, community organizations, doctors, nurses, women, small business, faith-based organizations, people of color, netroots activists, and think tanks.

We are organizing millions of Americans to ensure that 2009 is the year that the nation enacts an American solution that will guarantee our families’ health and a healthy economy. Our current health care system in America is not affordable for families, businesses, or government, and it fails to provide a guarantee of quality health care when you need it.

Health Care for America Now offers a bold vision for health care reform. Our Statement of Common Purpose calls for reform that is built on our current health care system and at the same time, guarantees quality, affordable health care for everyone.

Pivotal to our vision is choice: You can keep your private insurance if you so choose; you can switch to a different private insurance plan; or you can join a public insurance plan. Premiums and out-of-pocket costs would be affordable, based on a family’s ability to pay. Health coverage would be made affordable to employers. Government would be responsible for setting and enforcing rules on the insurance industry so that health coverage would actually be there when you need it.

We are asking the public, including members of Congress, to tell us whether they are on the side of quality, affordable health care for all or on the side of pushing people out on their own with private insurance.

We urge you to join with your constituents in declaring that you are on the side of a guarantee of quality, affordable coverage.

For more information on the Health Care for America Now campaign, visit http://HealthCareforAmericaNow.org/ .