American Retired Seniors

AARP Delivers Health Care Reform ‘Message in a Bottle’ in Chicago

Members Take to the Streets to Debunk Health Care Reform Myths — Deliver Rx Bottles Filled with Constituent Health Care Stories to Congress

CHICAGO, Sept. 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — On the heels of President Obama’s health care reform speech, and with Congress back to work in Washington, AARP members converged on downtown Chicago today with a simple but strong message: Fix what’s broken and preserve what’s right.

With a giant inflatable prescription bottle as a backdrop, and armed with prescription bottles filled with constituents’ health care stories, AARP volunteers took to the streets to get the public the facts, distributing information debunking the most common health care reform myths. The volunteers also encouraged people to fill out an Rx pad with their own health care “message in a bottle,” to be delivered to members of Congress.“Failure to pass health care reform legislation this year is not an option,” said Frances O’Kennard an AARP member from Chicago. “We can’t let the scare tactics, lies and partisan politics derail this issue — they need to hear our “message in a bottle” and get it right.”

Holding “Rx for health care reform” press conferences throughout the state, hosting community events and forums aimed at debunking the health care reform myths and helping the public to get the facts on the issue, AARP members are urging Congress to tackle the issue now.

Opponents of health reform are spreading myths such as: health reform will hurt Medicare; it will allow the government to make life-and-death decisions for you; and reform is socialized medicine. AARP has set up a website (www.healthactionnow.org) where the public can get the facts and other up-to-date information on the health care reform debate.

SOURCE AARP Illinois

• Check out AARP’s Health Reform: Get the Facts
• elptrek’s Blog AARP Facts about health care reform

Filed under: Senior Health Care