Many Americans lack health insurance, with numbers increasing in recent years. Those most at risk include the unemployed, low-income families, ethnic/racial minorities, children, older adults, and those with mental illness. While costs continue rising, Medicare benefits have decreased and prescription drug costs have increased. The document argues that re-electing Senator Patty Murray is important as she supports increasing access to healthcare, while her opponent Dino Rossi opposes recent healthcare reforms aimed at expanding coverage.

1. HEALTH CARE IN THE UNITED
STATES:
Every person deserves to
access the benefits of health
care; not only those who can
afford to pay for it!

2. DID YOU KNOW…????
Many Americans lack any type of health insurance coverage,
and the numbers are getting increasingly worse:
 The percentage of people without
health insurance increased to 16.7
percent in 2009 from 15.4 percent
in 2008.
• The number of people with health
insurance decreased to 253.6 million
in 2009 from 255.1 million in
2008.

3. -Between 2008 and 2009, the
percentage of people covered by
private health insurance decreased
from 66.7 percent to 63.9 percent
-The percentage of people covered by
employment-based health insurance
decreased to 55.8 percent in
2009, from 58.5 percent in 2008.

4. Those most at risk of having no health care
coverage include:
 The unemployed
 Low income families
 Ethnic/racial minorities
In our current economic crisis, more people
are experiencing joblessness and
poverty…..
BUT… out of pocket health care costs have
been continuously rising…

5. Children
Our children are the most vulnerable and helpless
withouDid you know….???
-In 2009, 10.0 percent of children
under 18, or 7.5 million, were without
health insurance.
-Children in poverty, already at greater risk for sickness and
health conditions…are most likely to lack health coverage

7. Older Americans
Our population is aging, resulting in more health care
needs, but access for older adults is decreasing!
-Most older adults depend on Medicare for health care
coverage:
-Medicare benefits have been decreasing, while costs of
out of pocket expenses have increased

8. Mental Health
We often ignore those suffering from chronic mental
illness….
Did you know…???
Millions of people in the U.S. experience one or more
mental health disorder at some time during their lifetime.
Nearly one-third of the U.S. population experiences one
or more disorder in a year
Many Americans who suffer from mental illness are hard
working, productive members of society!
For many others, mental illness can be debilitating and
place them at greater risk for unemployment, poverty,
and thus LACK OF HEALTH CARE COVERAGE!!

9. Rx Coverage:
Did YOU know…..
-The rising cost of health care is heavily attributed to rising
costs of out of pocket prescription costs?
-For many older adults on Medicare, their coverage caps
out at a certain point.
-For individuals with chronic illnesses, i.e. Diabetes, many
diabetics have resulted to non-adherence to medication
regimens, because they simply CANNOT AFFORD IT!!!!
-Without any health insurance, a month’s supply of insulin
could cost a person up to $888 out of pocket!!!

11. Did YOU know………
We are undergoing a
HEALTH CARE
CRISIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

12.  We NEED someone who will fight for our rights to
affordable and adequate health care…….
In Washington state…..Patty Murray, is our ONLY
option!!!!!!

13. Did you know…. Patty Murray supports the national
health care bill, which increases access for health care to ALL
Americans:
While in the Senate Patty has:
-Helped write and pass legislation for new health care reform
-Voted for increases in Medicare and Medicaid benefits, for older
and low income Americans, including Rx coverage
-Supported the expansion of CHIP (children’s health insurance
program) by making 2-4 million more children eligible.
-Supported legislation increasing mental health benefits, through
the Mental Health Parity Act.
-Fought for coverage for individuals commonly denied due to
“pre-existing conditions.”
Patty will continue to support these issues in her re-election.

14. Did you know…..that Patty Murray’s
opponent Dino Rossi, opposes equal
access to health care for all Americans???
-Dino Rossi opposes the Health Care
reform bill, which will expand health care
coverage to Americans?
-Dino Rossi falsely claims that the new bill
takes away people’s rights to choose or
keep their own existing private policies?
 -The facts….The new bill does not force
Americans to give up a health insurance plan
they already have and like

15. Dino Rossi believes that the new bill will
increase premiums for working and middle
class families….and that Medicare will be
reduced…
 -The Facts….the new bill will provide
access to individuals who have no other
health care options, and will greatly
INCREASE Medicare benefits to older
Americans.

16. A LOOK AT PATTY MURRAY’S COMMITMENT TO
OUR HEALTH CARE.

17. Now…a look at what Dino Rossi thinks about
health care

18. A RESPONSE TO DINO ROSSI, FROM A KING
COUNTY VOTER….
 “He [Rossi] has not a concept of what this health
care reform is. The majority of the bill doesn't kick
in until 2014., but because the Health care industry
is being stupid (as they have been and the reason
why we have this bill) he is playing into people’s
base fears and blaming the monster stupidity of the
health care industry, which is operating like a for
profit corperation on the bill that
Patty Murray helped make. It would be akin to me
scheduling an appointment to fix my car next week
then getting mad at the mechanic because my car
is broken and telling people that my mechanic is
helping to destroy my car because it is not fixed
yet.”

19. DO YOU CARE ABOUT HEALTH CARE???
We must re-elect Senator Patty Murray to represent
Washington State in the U.S. Senate ……
Our Health DEPENDS on it!