Divided We Fail:
Working Together to Ensure the Inherent Worth and Dignity of all People

My name is Julie Bates, I am the associate State director for AARP California and I am a Unitarian Universalist. I have a BA degree in Recreation Therapy, and I am working towards my masters in Gerontology. I have served elders all of my life, in acute care hospitals, skilled nursing, home health, as an Aging Programs analyst for the State of California and the Public Information officer for the California Department of Aging. Working for AARP has been the most fulfilling work I have had the pleasure to do. I am hear today to talk with you about healthcare reform and what we can do today to bring about this basic human right to all Californians and the country.

Many years ago a concept was brought up by then president Clinton for universal health coverage for all Americans. AARP stood with the president at that time and we took a beating for it, but we did it anyway because health coverage for all was the right thing to do. We lost members, lots of members, because of that support, but still it was the right thing to do. Even though the Clinton heath plan went by the way side AARP continued to fight, we fought against the privatization of Social Security, and won. We fought for prescription drug coverage in Medicare and won. Is it perfect, no but we had to start with something. I like to say every baby has to crawl before it can walk, and now we have a baby and we continue to work on the incremental changes to reach the goal.

We fought for universal health insurance coverage in Massachusetts and won and now it is time to fight and win in California! Then we take to fight to the Nation. It is my pleasure to stand before you as AARP and a UU to share with you the vision of both of these organizations for affordable comprehensive health coverage for all.

You may be saying I have health insurance why should I care about those who don't, or those who have too little? Well this is an issue that affects us all, rich and poor, employed and retired, the haves and the have-nots. AARP knows that we must act and we must act now. If we don't, the next generation will be the first in American history to be less well off than their parents.

Americans should have the peace of mind that comes with knowing that their futures will be financially secure. Yet, millions of Americans worry about their health and long-term financial security. For many, the American dream is eroding along with this security. We can't let this happen.

As Unitarian Universalists we believe in the worth and dignity of each human being. All people have an equal claim to life, liberty and justice; no idea, or philosophy is superior to a single human life. Religious communities have long played a role in healing body and spirit; we also have a role to play in lifting up values of compassion and equity as we seek solutions to the healing of a broken health care delivery system.

Health Care Reform was the issue that received the highest number of votes on a survey of issues that were of concern to Unitarian Universalists throughout the state of California. From medical professionals and workers in the insurance industry, to members of labor unions, small business owners, self-employed workers, the unemployed, disabled, and retired - all across the spectrum, Unitarian Universalists recognize that our health care system is in serious trouble. AARP also sees that the health care system is in desperate need of change.

Today the debate is raging in Sacramento about the future of your health care. There are proposals from the Democrats, Republicans, and the Governor, each with different twists and turns. All of this interest is creating a unique window of opportunity for us to make headway on one of the most important issues before each and every one of us in this room -- Health Care -- Your health care as well as the health care of your children and grand children. AARP is dedicated to ensuring health care and financial security for all generations.

Without good health care coverage, there truly is no financial security. Without good health care coverage, a good life can quickly become a fragile existence. In California, in fact in the United States, one major illness can bankrupt a family, even one with good health insurance, even a family strongly in the middle class. Fifty-five percent of all personal bankruptcies in the U.S. are filed as a direct result of medical bills. And of those, 70 percent are filed by individuals who were covered by health care insurance when the illness occurred.

Americans of all ages are telling AARP in no uncertain terms that the health care system in this country needs fixing. We at AARP are being told that health care premiums and deductibles are climbing through the roof, that benefits are eroding, and that bills are astronomical.

Health care insurance can be lost or denied for a variety of reasons, many of which make little sense, except to insurers. Every month nearly 2 million Americans lose their health insurance coverage, often as a result of a lifestyle shift and often for a short period of time. But if a serious health incident occurs during that break, it can be devastating both emotionally and financially. Let's think about how many people 2 million is it is more than the entire populations of Modesto, Manteca and Stockton combined!

Since 1961 the UUA has issued 15 General Resolutions and numerous Actions of Immediate Witness on Health. In 1992, the Association affirmed that comprehensive health care is a basic human right, demanding the development of a system which guarantees quality health care to every individual in the United States. Now is the time that we will see change first here in California then across the country

AARP is engaging in the work of how to do that. We are not alone, either here in the state or nationally where the issue has spread to the presidential debate. Nationally AARP is conducting a campaign: Divided We Fail. It brings together all of the parties - labor, consumers and business - to find a solution. IF the SEIU [Service Employees International Union], AARP and the Business Leadership roundtable can work together on this issue so should our elected officials!

• All Californians have a right to affordable, high-quality health care when they need it.
• Something has gone wrong in America when millions of people are just one medical emergency away from bankruptcy and financial ruin. How many of us are sure we can get quality health care when we need it for our children, our loved ones, and ourselves? Something needs to change.
• Financing of health care should be fair.
• We can not expect one segment of society to shoulder too much of the financial burden
• Policies and technologies that lower health care costs should be part of California's health care reform.
• We must empahsize preventive medicine and therapy instead of drugs whenever possible.
• Individuals should take personal responsibility for their health by educating themselves and taking preventive measures to guard against illness and disease.
• Most people would rather prevent a disease than treat it. Unfortunately, that's not the way things currently work in health care.
We're paying bills - not promoting health. America's medical system is focused on treating disease rather than fostering health. One of the reasons is that our health care system is inefficient and counter- intuitive. Insurance companies pay hospitals, doctors, and drug companies when we get sick, but not when we stay healthy. Furthermore, it's hard for many of us to eat right, exercise, and do the other things we need to take care of ourselves.
• OK - this means stopping smoking, losing weight, getting early testing like colonoscopies or mammograms. Not fun but life savers and cost containers!
• Persons of any age who have a disability should have a full array of services available to them, including mental health, in home care, dental care, and more.

We are flexible on how we accomplish these goals but we want results. We are in the debate today to improve lives.

Many of our members, especially those between 50 and 64 are having tremendous difficulty getting, keeping, paying for and even finding quality health insurance. This group and the young are those most likely to need private insurance. They are often finding it unaffordable, unavailable, or extravagantly expensive, way beyond their means. AARP members, including more than three million in California, cite adequate health care insurance as their top concern. Some of the facts driving those concerns are:

• Availability
• More than half of all Californians depend on employer-provided health care.
• When my partner had her heart attack at age 39, if we had not had the excellent coverage provided by AARP we would have had no way to pay the more than $300,000 bill. I pay more than $8000 a year for our coverage and co pays on doctor visits and medicine; I am one of the lucky ones. Too many workers today do not have the benefit of employer sponsored health insurance.
• One-third of Californians under age 65 already get their care through public insurance programs.
• 6.5 million, or 20% of all Californians under 65, have no health insurance.
• 21 % of Americans who try to buy individual health insurance are denied or charged extra high premiums.
• If I should lose my coverage though AARP there is no way I could secure a plan, at any cost, to cover my family because of the preexisting conditions we have.
• Health care premiums escalate according to age, health condition and sometimes profession
• 11 % of California emergency rooms have closed in the last decade.
• Affordability
• 50% of all personal bankruptcies in the U.S. are filed as a direct result of medical bills.
• 70% of medical bankruptcies filed are by individuals covered by health insurance when the illness occurs.
• 16% of the U.S. Gross National Product is spent on health care; the next most costly care is in Switzerland, which spends 11%.
• Adequacy (Quality)
• 18,000 Americans yearly die prematurely due to lack of health care.
• This number is likely low because many people die at home without seeking care in a hospital and their deaths are ladled "natural causes"
• Those aged 50-64 are most at risk if they lose employer-based coverage as they are typically ineligible for individual coverage or face astronomical monthly premiums. Premiums are pegged to age.
• Infant mortality is higher in the United States than countries such as Canada, France, Australia or Great Britain, which spend less per capita on health care than in America.
• Patients without insurance or whose insurance runs out are being dumped by hospitals, sometimes on the streets, because California lacks of system of continuing care.

Today's uninsured - six and half million people in California - are not just the poor. They include elders who have retired form the workforce with excellent coverage and find that they are still paying $20,000 + to have that coverage when adding co-pays. They include working families; the young who have just come off their parents insurance and cannot yet afford to pay for it on their own; the part-time or seasonal workers; those who have moved from job to job; those who have an ailment of some kind, such as asthma; and about half live in the household headed by a small business owner or employee. This is an issue that affects us all.

Those of us lucky enough to have good insurance today fear that it won't be there for them when they need it. People tell AARP that they want the security of knowing that they won't lose their health coverage because of a job change, an illness, a death in the family, a divorce, a layoff or the closing of the business they work for. And, they want it to actually cover the things they need, not be filled with loopholes and financial penalties when they get sick.

Oh, but I have Medicare, I'll be fine, many of you are thinking. Probably you will because Medicare is a good program. It is a program that has been improved since it began. That is why AARP entered the debate on Medicare Part D to help our members and others over 64 to be able to get the medications they need to stay healthy. It incorporates many of the principles we believe make a health care system workable: affordability, availability, adequacy and administration. But it is not enough to ensure only the elders of our country in this way.

I know I paint a grim picture, but we are UU's! This is a fight we can win through social action.

The central question is why and how can we become more effective and efficient. There are many proposals at the table. The specifics for California are just now developing. The time for change is now. We need you to join AARP in demanding meaningful health care reform. We need to start now, in California, to show the nation what can be done. For the first time business, labor, the State legislature, the governor, and the population of the state are demanding change and working towards it. Compromising and finding ways to come together for the common good. It is good for business and it is good for people. Your financial security requires health care security. Enough is enough. We want to get this fixed and the time is now.

I hope you are asking yourself what I can do to make sure that grim picture I have painted changes and change becomes a reality here I California and the Nation. If you are asking how I can put the UU social action principle to work today I have the answer.

Each of you received a pledge card this morning, I am asking you to join with AARP by signing the pledge to send the message loud and clear to our elected officials that the time is now for all Americans to have access to affordable health care including prescription drugs, and the cost should not be a burden to future generations. Sign your cards and if you would like to take an active role with me in here in Stanislaus County and the state check to box to become involved in the Divided We Fail Campaign

As we prepare to sing our closing hymn, We are a Gentle Angry People, and to end our time together this beautiful Sunday morning I hope that you remember that we have the power, each and everyone of us, to affect positive social change, to be the voice of justice in our community, what we do today makes the difference in our world. Divided we fail but together we can accomplish anything.

Thank you so much for inviting me to be with you this morning I will make myself available after the service to answer any questions you have on the Divided We Fail campaign, Volunteering for AARP or AARP in general

Julie is a member of the UU Church in Stockton, and the Assistant Director for AARP in California. Visit their website, www.itsourhealthcare.org for more information.

This is a Guest Sermon from our collection. Our Minister's Sermons are in a separate section.