Making the Case for Health Care Reform

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Making the Case for Health Care Reform
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Today

• Focusing on costs only as a threat to reform
• What do people believe and want?
• How we can pre-empt and win the debate?
• What is our strategy?

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Cost and Coverage

• Linked if approached the right way
• Valued by voters
• Arguments you can win
• But, you need a strategy
• Proactive, positive and aggressive
• Build on the beliefs voters have
• Repeated from different messengers
• In Washington DC and in States
• Connect using stories and analogies not details

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What you will hearToo ExpensiveToo
ComplicatedBig GovernmentMore TaxesLose
JobsGet Between you and your doctorCover
illegal immigrants?
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What Do People Want?

• Peace of Mind
• Choice and Control
• Affordability
• Personal Physician
• Personal Responsibility - in others
• They want personal access at an affordable cost

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What about me?
Individual concerns impact all issues, but
especially healthcare My budget My family My
health My job
Support for coverage and a better health system
is always weighed against personal impact.
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What Do Voters Believe?

• Healthcare- part of the American Dream
• People who work hard should have health care for
  their families
• Every family should have a family doc
• People should take personal responsibility for
  their health
• We are America and we can fix health care

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Unique TimeEconomic DownturnEveryone At
RiskFears of Loss
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Positive Future -America is a country where
people who work should have affordable health
care for them and their children -Affordable
health care is basic and allows me to -Provide
for my family -Keep my children healthy -Help
me provide and my kids prepare for the
future We are America and we can do it.
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Reform Too Expensive?

• Top issue to assist me during the recession
• Voters Know
• Wages Stagnant
• Premiums Rising
• CEOs of Insurance Companies make more in a day
  than a worker in a year
• My family and I need affordable healthcare

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Government as Watchdog and Guardian

• We need leadership and public oversight to
  ensure we have a health system that doesnt
  exclude us when we get sick
• Someone on my side making sure I get affordable
  premiums.
• I want a choice between public and private
  plans.

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More Taxes and Lose Jobs?

• Middle class America is having a harder time
  making ends meet
• It is not fair that someone who works and pays
  for insurance all his life should be unable to
  afford health care

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Get Between You and Your Doctor?

• People see the health care system through the
  lens of their relationship with their personal
  physician
• Dont want anybody getting between them and their
  doctor
• Link the loss of a job lose health care lose
  access to affordable quality care
• Every family should have a family doc

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FamilyResponsibility
The most fundamental positive emotional theme. We
all need to take responsibility. Includes
personal responsibility If others pay what they
can and take care of their health, they should
have health care.
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A family portrait
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Strategy

• Raise the bar - dont let the debate focus only
  on how we control costs
• Link coverage and cost control
• Affordability requires restrained costs AND a
  system where our families can get care even if we
  lose our jobs.
• Speak to our better selves - America can do it

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Strategy II

• Pre-empt the negative arguments
• America can do it - we can solve this
• The economic downturn is a time when we need to
  protect families
• People are taking personal responsibility and
  should be treated fairly
• We need leadership, oversight and choice
• Supports peace of mind

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Tell Stories

• Stories that demonstrate system problems - not
  personal failings
• Embed messages in real stories
• Make real people available

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Story Board I

• Working person
• Cancer patient
• Loses health, job and, therefore, insurance
• Needs affordable care - efficient yes, but needs
  to be accessible too.

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Story Board II

• Car repair shop has four long time employees
• One gets sick - premium skyrockets
• Employer cant afford insurance and keep shop
  open - making hard decision
• Yes, control costs, but small businesses need
  affordable choices

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Questions Comments
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Remember

• Be positive we all should have affordable
  health care
• Connect to the emotions and beliefs
• Link coverage with cost
• Pre-empt attacks or push back the right way
• Use stories

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Thank you additional resources are available at
www.herndonalliance.org or contact Bob
Crittendendocbob_at_herndonalliance.org206.744.919
3or Sherry Prowda sherry_at_herndonalliance.org
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MISSION
THEME
Environment
State Pride
Coolness/ Rebellion
Health
FamilyResponsibility
Environment