Reason One: Health Reform

The video above is from the new special section of the White House’s website, “50 States / 50 Stories”. It tells the stories of ordinary Americans who will benefit from the Affordable Care Act, which began the process of reforming America’s broken healthcare system.

The bill starts taking effect tomorrow. It will bring real, tangible and critically needed improvements that will make life better for millions of Americans. It:

• Bans discrimination against kids with pre-existing conditions.
• Allows young adults to remain on their parents’ plan until their 26th birthday.
• Prohibits insurance companies from cutting off your coverage when you’re sick if you made a mistake on your application.
• Prohibits insurance companies from putting a lifetime limit on the amount of coverage you may receive, and restricts the use of annual limits until they are banned completely in 2014.
• And if you join a new plan, you have the right to choose your own doctor in your insurer network; Your insurer is banned from charging more for emergency services obtained outside of their network; You will be guaranteed the right to appeal insurance company decisions to an independent third party; You will receive recommended preventive care with no out-of-pocket cost. Services like mammograms, colonoscopies, immunizations, pre-natal and new baby care will be covered, and insurance companies will be prohibited from charging deductibles, co-payments or co-insurance.

And there’s more to come.

But Republicans have pledged to repeal the Affordable Care Act if they regain control of Congress. They want to take away these hard-won benefits that millions of ordinary Americans will start to receive tomorrow. They want to make life worse for ordinary Americans to make things better for the corporate elites and the obscenely wealthy.

If you’re a Democrat and can’t think of a reason to bother voting this year, explain that to Gail and Matt. If you just can’t get enthused about making sure that Democrats win the November elections, Gail might like to know why not.

The point here is simple: Democrats staying home instead of voting are electing Republicans, and that party has pledged to repeal healthcare reform, and more. Democrats who don’t bother to vote in November are endorsing the Republican/Teapublican agenda.

Gail and Matt have provided one good reason to vote Democratic in November: Keeping healthcare reform. There are plenty of other good reasons.