54,014,152

 Catholic Health Association promotional video: 

Society of St. Vincent DePaul Action Alert: 

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Let Congress know that Health Care Reform Can't Wait!

Take Action!

 URGENT ACTION NEEDED:

Please call and e-mail your Representative in the next 24 hours expressing your support for Congress to enact health care reform now. Congressional offices can be reached through the Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121. To send an e-mail message to your Representative, click on "Take Action" and enter your zip code.

Saint Vincent de Paul is partnering with Catholic Charities USA and the Catholic Health Association to amplify our collective voice to let Congress know that health care reform can not wait.  Health care is a central component of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul's work to reduce poverty in America.

MESSAGE:

• We need health care reform now.
• Catholic social teaching affirms that every individual is entitled to a life of dignity and opportunity.  Accordingly, access to health care is a basic human right.
• Health care reform must pay special attention to the needs of the poor and vulnerable.
• Tell your story!  How has access to health care affected you, your family, and/or your community?

BACKGROUND:

The House of Representatives introduced a health care reform bill yesterday afternoon and Members of Congress are debating the legislation in several committees this week. While there are many details in the health reform bill(s) that still need to be developed, we must maintain momentum for health care reform efforts with calls and emails supporting health care reform immediately. The groups that do not support health reform have been blanketing House members in opposition to any reform. Your members of Congress need to hear from you that you support health care reform, and that the system needs to be reformed now.

As a reminder to help in your calls and messages, the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul supports the Catholic Health Association's Vision for U.S. Health Care which lays out principles for reforming the health care system. We call for health care reform that is:

• Available and accessible to everyone, paying special attention to the poor and vulnerable;
• Health and prevention oriented, with the goal of enhancing the health status of communities;
• Sufficiently and fairly financed;
• Transparent and consensus-driven, in allocation of resources, and organized for cost-effective care and administration;
• Patient centered, and designed to address and protect health needs at all stages of life, from conception to natural death; and
• Safe, effective and designed to deliver the greatest possible quality.

If you have questions, please contact Desmond Brown, Senior Director of Government Affairs at  // " title="mailto:" target="_blank">dbrown@catholiccharitiesusa.org, or, Kellyann McClain, Policy Analyst at // " title="mailto:" target="_blank">kmcclain@catholiccharitieusa.org.