Over the August recess, Democrats–with the support of the White House outside groups like the Service Employees International Union, and Health Care for America Now–will be taking a simple message to voters in their districts: insurance companies are the enemy.
“Hold the insurance companies accountable,” reads a strategy memo distributed to members of the House Democratic caucus.
Remove them from between you and your doctor. No discrimination for pre-existing conditions. No dropping your coverage because you get sick. No more job or life decisions made based on loss of coverage. No need to change doctors or plans. No co-pays for preventive care. No excessive out-of-pocket expenses, deductibles, or co-pays. No yearly or lifetime cost caps on what insurance companies cover.
According to the memo, they’ve coordinated this strategy with the Obama administration and a number of sympathetic groups. “The Leadership is working in close coordination with the White House and outside groups (including but not limited to HCAN, Families USA, AFSCME, SEIU, AARP, etc.) to ensure complementary efforts during August.”
And they’ll be taking the message into the Hispanic community as well: “The Speaker’s office will work to book Hispanic/Spanish speaking members of relevant committees on Spanish-language radio and TV. Democratic Leadership will also be available to assist with Hispanic-focused district events, including town halls, telephone town halls, and calls with Hispanic media reporters.”
The memo, which you can read here, provides a clear look at the Democrats’ strategy as they try to keep momentum for health care reform alive through the summer doldrums.
