The health care reform debate in Congress is reaching a critical stage as the Senate Finance Committee begins its long awaited mark-up of health system reform legislation today.  In the House, Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) has tentatively scheduled a markup of the pending amendments to his committee’s version of health reform legislation for Wednesday, Sept. 23. That bill will eventually be combined with three other versions of H.R. 3200, the "America's Affordable Health Choices Act," by the U.S. House Committee on Rules into a single bill that will be considered on the House floor.

ICEP members have an opportunity to weigh in now, in a broad campaign designed to influence all major stakeholders in the debate

ACTION ITEM: 

ACEP MYTHS AND REALITIES CAMPAIGN

This week, ACEP launched an unprecedented national campaign to debunk some of the key myths about emergency care that have been perpetuated during the current federal health care reform debate, outline some of the critical problems plaguing our emergency care system, and propose some solutions to these problems that should be included as components of health care reform legislation.  This project will be the most extensive direct communication ACEP has ever undertaken and encompasses paid advertising in key publications and Web media, direct mail, an aggressive viral e-mail campaign, a micro Web site, and more.

We need your help today to directly communicate this message to your members of Congress and their staff.  Please CLICK HERE to send your message to Congress regarding the ACEP Myths and Realities Campaign.

With your help, this campaign will be very effective in helping to change key stakeholders, legislators’ and public understanding and support for emergency medicine in the health care reform debate. CLICK HERE to spread the word to your friends, family and colleagues.

Dispel the Myths About Emergency Care: Help Spread the Word at www.acep.org/realities

Thanks for helping ACEP and ICEP get the message out!