This document promotes the reelection of Patty Murray for US Senate by arguing for the importance of health care reform and access to affordable health insurance. It outlines statistics on the rising number of uninsured Americans and discusses how certain groups like children, older adults, and those with mental illness are vulnerable. The document contrasts Patty Murray's support for expanding health care access and benefits with Dino Rossi's opposition to reform efforts. It claims Rossi does not understand the new health care bill and argues Americans' health depends on reelecting Murray to continue fighting for affordable and adequate health coverage.

1. Patty Murray for US Senate
November 2, 2010

2. Our country is undergoing a health care
crisis:
The number of Americans without health insurance
is staggering, and is getting worse:
• Americans without
health insurance increased from 15.4% in 2008 to
16.7% in 2009
•
The number of people with health
insurance decreased from 255.6 million in 2008 to
253.1 in 2009
(U.S. Census Bureau, 2010)

3. In our current economy….
-Unemployment is increasing…but the cost of
health care coverage and out of pocket expenses
are INCREASING!
-Most vulnerable to lack of health care coverage
are:
• The unemployed
• Low income families
• Ethnic/racial minorities
• Children!

4. Our Children……

5. NO child should have to worry about health
insurance.
-In 2009, 10.0 percent of children
under 18, or 7.5 million, were without
health insurance.
-Children in poverty, are already at greater risk
for sickness and health conditions…are most
likely to lack health coverage
(U.S. Census Bureau, 2010)

6. 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 (AARP, 2010)
-Many older adults are susceptible to poverty

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 disorders at some point in
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 no health coverage

10. Rising Rx Costs….are one of the main sources of
increasing health costs overall
Many Americans are forced to go without needed
medications, even for chronic illnesses such as
mental illness and diabetes, and many more,
due to the outrageous cost of prescriptions,
without health care coverage.

11. • We NEED someone in the U.S. Senate who will
fight for our rights to affordable and adequate
health care…….
For Washington State…Patty Murray, is our
ONLY option!!!!!!

12. Patty Murray has always defended our right to health
care!!
Patty Murray supports the new 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 SCHIP (State children’s
health insurance program) by making 2-4 million
more children eligible.

13. -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. Dino Rossi will not fight for our right to
health care!
-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

15. Dino Rossi
CLAIMS to defend the interests of the
middle class, yet denies that the
health care crises affects middle class
Americans as much as anyone
-Recent losses in private employer
based insurances and unemployment
make the middle class vulnerable
too!

16. 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.

17. Patty Murray’s Support for Health Care

18. Dino Rossi on Health Care…

19. A response to Dino Rossi, from a King
County voter, 29 year old Male
• “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 corporation 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.”

20. Do we want a senator who will walk
out on our health care needs?!

21. Do you care about health care???
You Should!!
We must re-elect Senator Patty Murray to
represent Washington State in the U.S. Senate
……
Our Health DEPENDS on it!