Working for

health care justice

Mark your calendar, get involved, and take action!

ALERT - May 24, 2007

  1. THCC's Annual Meeting, June 23 - Register today!
  2. Prescription Drug Settlement
  3. Reduce the state sales tax on food by increasing the tobacco tax.
  4. Thank state legislators.
  5. Debt, caused by medical bills, is hitting middle income families hard.

1. THCC's Annual Meeting, June 23: Call 1-877-431-7083 to make reservations ($10 donation for lunch and breaks).

"What states do can make a difference! Both Good and Bad" THCC's Annual Meeting, June 23, 10-4 PM, Edgehill United Methodist Church, 1502 Edgehill Ave., Nashville, TN 37212

Special Guest: Tim Chavez, former reporter from the Tennessean & Rachel DeGolia, National Director for Universal Health Care Action Network (UHCAN), Keynote Speaker, http://www.uhcan.org/

  • Learn what other states are doing to solve their health care crisis.
  • Is there a national solution?
  • What does Physicians for a National Health Program recommend?
  • Is it better to have a voluntary or a mandatory health system?
  • How do I know? This is too complicated. Come and learn with us.
2. Consumers: You may be eligible for a payment from one of three prescription drug settlements. First deadline for filing is May 28.

CONSUMER ALERT! http://www.prescriptionaccess.org/

Claims Deadlines are approaching fast!
Three nationwide class action lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies have been recently settled. Consumers & third party payers (insurance companies, union health & welfare funds) that paid for part or all of the cost of these drugs may be eligible to get payments from these settlements.

Paxil Pediatric: $63.8 Million settlement: Hoorman v. SmithKlineBeecham (Illinois)

• Drug for depression and anxiety disorders, prescribed to children & adolescents
• Deadline to submit claims: August 31, 2007
• More info: www.paxilpediatricsettlement.com or 1-866-494-8404

Serostim: $29 Million settlement: Gov’t Employees Hospital Assoc. v. Serono Int’l, et. al (D. Mass.)

• Drug for AIDS Wasting
• Deadline to submit claims: July 19, 2007
• More info: www.serostimsettlement.com or 1-800-378-3615. GlaxoSmithKline: $70 Million settlement

Pharmaceutical Industry Average Wholesale Price Litigation (D. Mass.)

  • Drugs at issue:
    • Alkeran Imitrex Kytril (injectable and oral)
    • Lanoxin Myleran Navelbine
    • Retrovir Ventolin (Albuterol) Zantac
    • Zofran (injectable and oral) Zovirax (Acyclovir)
  • Deadline to submit claims: May 28, 2007
  • More info: www.gsksettlement.com or 1-888-568-7645

3. Tennessee has the highest food tax in the nation and one of the lowest tobacco taxes. Having the highest food tax burdens is an extra burden on low-income people who are more likely to be working and uninsured. For more information, go to http://www.yourtax.org/foodtaxswap/

Do you live in one of the following counties? If you do, please make a phone call between Friday and Monday and send an email: Anderson, Dyer, Johnson, Knox, Lauderdale, Loudon, Monroe, Robertson, Shelby, Sullivan, Sumner, and Tipton.

Message: Tennessean needs a permanent, across-the-board, year-round food tax cut, paid for with an increase in the state cigarette tax. With the highest food tax in the nation and one of the lowest cigarette taxes, this tax swap is a common-sense solution that most Tennesseans support. 

Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, 1-800-449-8366, x14524
Representing Sullivan & Johnson Counties
Leave a message if you get voice mail or his assistant. Phone calls are best, but you can also send an email to lt.gov.ron.ramsey@legislature.state.tn.us

Senator McNally, 1-800-449-8366, x16806
Representing Anderson, Loudon, Monroe and part of Knox Counties
Leave a message if you get voice mail or his assistant. Phone calls are best, but you can also send an email to sen.randy.mcnally@legislature.state.tn.us

Senator Norris, 1-800-449-8366, x11967
Representing Dyer, Lauderdale, Tipton Counties and Part of Shelby County.
Leave a message if you get voice mail or his assistant. Phone calls are best, but you can also send an email to sen.mark.norris@legislature.state.tn.us

Senator Black, 1-800-449-8366, x11999
Representing Robertson & Sumner Counties
Leave a message if you get voice mail or her assistant. Phone calls are best, but you can also send an email to sen.diane.black@legislature.state.tn.us

4. In Tennessee, there are 1 million uninsured people. There are another 1 million under-insured Tennesseans: http://www.thcc2.org/

How did state legislators address this challenge during this legislative session?
  1. Dental care for children - This benefit will be added to CoverKids in the near future, providing children both dental and vision care. Many legislators saw this as the right thing to do and now as the time to do this.
  2. Health Care Study Commission on how to provide universal coverage - This will have to wait until next year. We picked up a lot of support, but it got stuck in the General Sub-committee of the Senate Commerce, Labor and Agriculture Committee and in the Study Sub-committee of the House Finance Committee. It will be back next year. Thousands of people are hurting while we wait.
  3. Expand the Scope of the TennCare Oversight Committee - Legislative Oversight of health care programs supported by state and federal dollars are splintered and public programs across departments are not coordinated, resulting in thousands of people falling through the cracks. This issue will be back next year.
  4. Posting of Hospital Charity Care policies in Emergency Rooms - We introduced a bill. However, very similar legislation was introduced by Senator Jackson.
  5. Safety-Net for Transplant and Cancer Patients - As the safety net has evolved since its creation after the cuts to the TennCare programs, parts of the safety net programs have become part of the permanent delivery of services. However, the transplant and cancer safety net programs were scheduled to go away on June 30, 2007. Our efforts have hopefully helped this program get sufficient funding for at least another year.
Thank you's are in order for the following state legislators for their efforts. You do not have to live in their counties / districts to thank them. Thank them for helping to move forward the issues in RED:

5. If your income is between $40,000 and $60,000 and you have medical debt, then we need to hear from you ASAP. Because of the costs of health care, medical debt in now hitting middle income families hard. Please call 1-877-431-7083

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Tony Garr, tgarr@thcc2.org, http://www.thcc2.org/

Tennessee Health Care Campaign

1103 Chapel Ave., Nashville, TN 37206

1- 877- 431- 7083