It’s an exciting day for SEIU members and our communities today. October 1st marks the first day the new health care marketplace open across the country. Here in Colorado, the marketplace is called “Connect for Health Colorado”.
What does this mean? It means millions of uninsured Americans who aren’t covered by their employers or who have been “priced out” of healthcare coverage will be able to sign up to buy lower-cost healthcare coverage through new health marketplaces.
And millions more Americans may be eligible for healthcare coverage through Medicaid. Our Governor has already put the health of working families first and accepted the Medicaid expansion benefits which will cover over 160,000 more Coloradans.
SEIU members worked for more than two decades to win quality, affordable healthcare for working families and to end the power of insurance companies. Now, it’s our moment to build power by making sure working women and men know the facts about the Affordable Care Act.
We fought for this law because no matter who you are, where you work or what you do for a living, everyone in this country should have be able to see a doctor, afford life-saving medications and control their own healthcare decisions.
Now it’s up to us to make sure that women and men who work hard for a living, but simply can’t afford the cost of healthcare, get a fair shot at living a healthier life. That means seeing a doctor on a regular basis, getting good preventive care and being free from the fear that one accident or illness could lead to bankruptcy.
If working women and men are going to be free to pursue their hopes and dreams, we need the protections and benefits delivered by the Affordable Care Act to level the playing field. And we will need to stand with healthcare champions and members of Congress who support this law. Information is power, especially when it comes to our health and our families’ health. Our path to power begins by making sure our co-workers, family and friends know the facts about their benefits and healthcare choices under the law.
Get Covered. Get Informed. Go to: Connect to Health Colorado (http://connectforhealthco.com/)
Sara Gagliardi is an SEIU Local 105 Steward and a Licensed Practical Nurse working at Kaiser Permanente for 30 years.
