Richard Kirsch, the former co-director of Citizen Action of New York State and director of Health Care for America Now (HCAN), both 1199SEIU community partner organizations, has written a book about a struggle that most 1199ers are familiar with -- the 2008-2010 fight to pass the federal Affordable Healthcare for America Act (also known as the ACA and Obamacare.) Kirsch stopped by 1199SEIU Albany Headquarters to discuss and sign copies of the book, Fighting for Our Health: The Epic Battle to Make Health Care a Right in the United States and spoke with a group of 50 community activists and 1199 healthcare workers.

The book offers a colorful, first-person account of how healthcare reform came to be and recounts how the campaign led by union workers and grassroots organizers played a crucial role in President Obama's signing of historic health reform legislation in March of 2010 — defeating the Tea Party, Republican Party, health insurance industry, and the US Chamber of Commerce. The , demonstrations, and confrontations in places like Albany, New York, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Lincoln, Nebraska.

Doris Lashway, a C.N.A at Albany County Nursing Home, remembers attending Congressman Paul Tonko’s Healthcare Town Hall Meeting in the Albany area on a sweltering day in August 2009. “The Tea Party activists were out in full-force that day and I remember trying to figure out why they were opposed to this bill that would be in their best interests. Listening to Richard speak, I learned that situation was happening all over the country at that time—it wasn’t just in Albany.

In addition to telling insider stories about some of his meetings with legislators who strongly supported or opposed reform and those who were on the fence, Kirsch lined out some of reasons why the ACA is a historic success: people under 26 years old can stay on their parents insurance, consumers have the ability to appeal claim denials with insurance companies, states can require insurance companies to justify premium increases, it is illegal for insurance companies to deny coverage to children under the age of 19 based on a pre-existing condition and by 2014, insurance companies cannot refuse to sell coverage or renew policies to anyone based on a pre-existing health conditions.

After hearing the term “Obamacare” used several times, one audience member remarked, “Isn’t Obamacare a negative term that conservative pundits use?” Kirsch responded that while opponents of reform tried to demonize President Obama during the national debate, the fact is the law is a welcome and successful move forward and that “President Obama should get credit for supporting and signing the most progressive healthcare policy in US history.”

“The work we need to do immediately is re-elect President Obama and elect a Congress that supports the implementation of the Healthcare For America Act and protects national health care programs for the elderly and low-income Americans, Medicare and Medicaid,” Kirsch said. Several 1199 members shouted out, “We are already signed up!”

For more information:

www.healthcareforamericanow.org | www.thanksobamacare.org | www.fightingforourhealth.com