Patients Not Profits: Virginians Protest Against High Insurance Costs
Friday, July 25, 2008
Richmond, VA - "Our Health Over Your Wealth" reads a sign protesting the rising premiums some insurance companies are charging for health care policies. It will wave today as Virginians from across the Commonwealth demonstrate in front of Anthem Insurance corporate headquarters in Richmond. They and others are challenging the insurance company to make health care affordable.
Sandra Cook with the Virginia Organizing Project says the issue affects more than a select few.
"Individuals cannot afford health care. It's not just people who are not working, but for some among the working class. They just can't afford the cost of health care, so they do without."
Insurance companies argue that they have to raise prices to adjust to their rising costs. Cook says companies like Anthem need to turn their focus to cutting costs and providing health insurance at a price that any Virginian can afford.
"We are hoping to raise awareness among the general public. We want to make sure state and federal legislators are going to address this in the future."
The protest is part of a larger campaign called Health Care for America Now, which is organizing activities across the country for the next few months to push for quality and affordable health care for everyone in 2009.
get more stories like this via email
Social Issues
Mississippi prisons often lack resources to treat people who are incarcerated with substance-use disorders adequately but a nonprofit organization is …
Social Issues
April is Second Chance Month and many Nebraskans are celebrating passage of a bipartisan voting rights restoration bill and its focus on second chance…
Social Issues
The future of Senate Bill 4 is still tangled in court challenges. It's the Texas law that would allow police to arrest people for illegally crossing …
Social Issues
Wisconsin lawmakers recently debated reforms for payday loans. Efforts to protect consumers come amid new research about financial pain associated …
Social Issues
A case before the U.S. Supreme Court could have implications for the country's growing labor movement. Justices will hear oral arguments in Starbucks …
Social Issues
The U.S. House has approved a measure to expand the Child Tax Credit. It would help 16 million children from low-income families in Indiana and …