Universal Health Care 2000 Campaign Update

September 2000

Universal Health Care 2000 Campaign Update

Dear Colleagues,

You are aware of our affiliation with the U2K movement for Universal Health Care. There is a large and growing Congressional Task Force, which tells us that the U2K Campaign is the right vehicle to put health care justice back on our nation’s political agenda. Therefore we are making these election tools available to you. You can also download these and other tools from the U2K website, "U2K Update" ARCHIVES: Direct your Web browser to:<http://www.u2kcampaign.org/News> Please remember that we as mental health professionals need to be a part of any health care movement, we need to have our concerns on the table. Go electioneering!
Patricia Dowds - Member of the Executive Board of NCMHPC
David Byrom - Member of the Executive Board of NCMHPC

FROM U2K:

Engaging Candidates in the 2000 Elections

Ah, election season again. 2000 is the year of big campaigns, big money and big media democracy. And health care will be a big issue in the 2000 elections. Chances are, candidates for Congress will talk around the edges of health care reform. They'll pledge to enact a Patient's Bill of Rights, or protect Medicare, or expand health care for working families. But they may not address the need for fundamental health care reform - for universal, affordable, comprehensive and publicly accountable health care. That is, not unless a grassroots campaign is mounted to place universal health care back on America's agenda, to make it a central issue in the 2000 elections and beyond.

Health care is a very popular issue in the year 2000. There are almost as many reform plans as there are candidates. Most candidates will say they support some kind of health care reform or coverage expansion. U2K must ask candidates specific questions about what they mean by universal health care.

We must call for candidates support for universal, comprehensive, affordable and publicly accountable health care. If candidates are to realize that this is an important issue, lots of voters need to talk to them about it long and often. This section of the U2K Campaign Handbook on Engaging Candidates offers ways to do this in an effective, organized way.

Finding Out About Candidates

Engaging candidates should begin with thoughtful research. Being prepared will show candidates that the U2K Campaign is serious about raising universal health care as a major issue in the 2000 elections. Visits to candidates should aim to ask informed, targeted questions about candidate’s views on health care, and to show the candidate that the campaign is well-organized and broadly-based, locally as well as nationally. There are a few important things you should know about candidates before approaching them. The candidate's position on health care issues such as expanding health care for working families, covering the uninsured, Patient's Bill of Rights, Medicare, managed care accountability, insurance coverage for medications and others; the candidate's position on universal health care; the candidate's sources of campaign funding (insurance and health industries often contribute large sums to candidates to influence their positions)). Or, go to <www.opensecrets.org>, the website of the Campaign for Responsive Politics for detailed information on money and politics.

There are a number of sources of information about candidates.

Position Papers. If one is not available from the campaign office, ask a staff person for the candidate’s position on universal health care.

Newspapers. Libraries have copies (and back issues) of daily papers in your state, and some weekly papers. Many daily newspapers also have web sites.

The Internet. Most candidates have a web site. You can email questions to the candidates, read position papers, and find out about candidate appearances.

U2K Campaign office. Staff may be able to provide you with information about the candidates, or connect you with other U2K endorsers with that information.

Targeting Candidates

The U2K Campaign has two goals for the next Congress:

1. to create an energized bloc of universal health care supporters and,

2. to educate all members of Congress of Americans desire to address this issue

In order to do this, U2K must be strategic about targeting candidates who are likely to support universal health care, as well as reaching out to 'swing' candidates that could be persuaded to support U2K by effective grassroots organizing

Here are a few tips on doing a 'power analysis' of your state's Congressional races before approaching candidates.

Get a list of the candidates.

The Board of Elections in your local area should be able to help.

Also, you can contact the Democratic and Republican Party headquarters in your state. Some races may have third party or independent candidates.

The U2K web site will list candidates in many states by June 2000.

Find out as much as you can about the candidates. Read newspaper articles, surf web sites, call campaign offices for position statements.

Decide strategically which candidates to approach.

Chances are, your organization won't be able to mobilize around U2K in every district. Therefore, you should be strategic about where you place your efforts. Which Congressional districts or candidates are most important to target? Contested races will be especially important. In races that are not seriously contested, focus on communicating with influential incumbents.

Decide how to approach candidates.

Find out which of your members (or members of a U2K endorser you're working with) live in the districts you want to target.

Develop a 'spark plug' team who track candidates and work to organize delegations of individuals to approach candidates for a meeting, bird dog candidates, organize letter writing campaigns to candidates, organize town hall meetings, etc.

Setting up a Meeting with Candidates

OK, so now you're ready to approach candidates.

First, contact the candidate's campaign office to arrange a meeting.

When you call, explain the goals of the U2K Campaign and that your coalition represents a large number of constituents concerned about universal health care.

Talk about the depth and breadth of your U2K coalition.

Ask for the earliest appointment for a small group (i.e. 3-5) to meet with the candidate to discuss the issue of universal health care.

It's often better for someone who knows the candidate to request the meeting.

You will be asked how much time you need. It's often wise to ask for 20 to 30 minutes, although if the discussion is productive, the candidate may let the conversation continue. If you ask for more time, the scheduler may be less likely to agree.

Press for a meeting with the candidate rather than a staff member. Be flexible about the time. If you can't get an appointment, it's better to meet with a staff person than not at all. When the appointment is arranged or before the meeting, give the candidate's staff the names and organizational affiliations of the delegation.

Request copies of the Education Handbook, which addresses the health care crisis from various constituencies points of view, from the U2K office. Bring one to the candidate, adding literature or clippings about the health care crisis in your community. Select a small delegation of knowledgeable people representing the breadth of your coalition, including the spectrum of constituencies involved in the U2K Campaign. The delegation should announce their organizational affiliations, and their constituencies. If possible, all should be voters in the district.

Schedule a planning meeting of the delegation a few days before the visit, preferably in person. At that meeting, cover the following items:

Select an introductory speaker to give a concise overview of the issue (one or two minutes) to focus the meeting around the universal health care issue

Cover the most important points, emphasizing issues likely to be on the candidate’s mind (if known), and agree who will speak on each topic. Give some thought to questions and challenges you are likely to meet, and prepare thoughtful responses.

Agree that delegation members will discuss only U2K – not their own or their organization’s views on other issues (even if the candidate asks).

Be clear about logistics. Who will bring the packet and give it to the candidate? Who will be responsible for follow up? Who will write up the notes after the visit?

Use the meeting with the candidate to accomplish three goals:

1. Learn about the candidate's position on universal health care. Does the candidate already have a position? If so, what is it? If not, what questions or concerns must be addressed in order to gain the candidate's support of universal health care?

2. Persuade the candidate to support universal health care, through stressing its importance to voters in the district (cite studies and polls if possible), as well as to the broad and diverse constituencies that your coalition represents

3. Obtain a statement in support of universal health care. In the meeting, address the major points your delegation hopes to cover about the need for fundamental health care reform. These are the main points to convey about U2K:

I. Main objectives of the U2K Campaign: the need to place universal health care back on the national agenda, to move America towards universal coverage.

II. The breadth and depth of the U2K Campaign, a broad movement of organizations and constituencies committed to working together towards universal health care.

III. The aim of the U2K Campaign to promote legislative solutions to the health care crisis through creating a powerful bloc of legislators in Congress who will work to move America towards universal health care.

IV. The importance of universal health care to your constituency. Each delegation member should speak briefly to how the health care crisis affects his or her organization and constituency, to reinforce broad appeal of U2K.

V. The goal of U2K in 2000 is to use a democratic process to create a national dialogue around the need for comprehensive, affordable, accessible, quality and publicly accountable health care for all. In 2001, we can craft policy solutions that move towards universal coverage. Emphasize the basic principles of universal health care:

Universal: accessible for everyone.

Comprehensive: a full range of services can be accessed to combat illness and maintain health.

Affordable: out-of-pocket expenditures do not create financial barriers to needed care.

Publicly accountable: appropriate oversight of publicly funded health care (the majority of health care dollars).

If the discussion wanders to other health care reform issues, explain that U2K endorsers have only taken a common position on universal health care. Unless your organization has its own position on specific policy alternatives, talk in broad terms about the need for universal health care that meets U2K

Campaign goals. If the candidate suggests piecemeal reforms, ask how this fits into an overall vision for moving towards universal health care for all Americans. If the candidate asks a question you don't know the answer to, don't guess. Offer to get the information, and call U2K staff.

After the meeting, hold an evaluation and decide on follow-up action: sending more information, arranging an additional meeting, sending a thank-you note for the meeting and any positions that the candidate took in support of universal health care. Have someone write a report, including questions raised and the candidate's position, and contact information of campaign staff, so the U2K office can track candidates.

Writing to Candidates

Candidates watch their mail carefully. Letters help them to judge whether an issue is important to their constituencies. The volume of letters they receive can effect the way they perceive an issue and the stand they take during a campaign. A personal letter or email is more powerful than a form letter- especially if personal stories are used. A handwritten letter is the most effective. Identify yourself as a constituent if possible and as a member of a coalition interested in universal health care. Be sure to cite the breadth and depth of the U2K Campaign - that its diverse members are working together towards universal health care. Focus on the issue of universal health care. If you have concerns about another health care justice issue, write a separate letter. Keep your letter brief (1-2 pages). Say that the need for universal health care is the reason you are writing in the first paragraph. Emphasize the urgency of addressing health care reform. Give reasons for your stance. Tell personal stories where relevant and possible. Talk about the U2K Campaign as a way of joining with others in a broad movement for universal health care, the fact that you are part of a diverse, national campaign as well as a particular organization and constituency. Ask where the candidate stands on universal health care and get a statement. Write your complete return address on the letter and envelope.

Bird-Dogging Candidates

Find out when and where candidates are speaking. The U2K Coordinating organizations in your state or region may have a candidate-sighting list. Get online - candidates will often list their schedules on their web sites - or call the campaign. Bring friends. You can scatter in the crowd and make sure your questions are answered. The first time a question is asked, a candidate may avoid it. A follow-up question ensures that the candidate will answer. Arrive early and sit in the front row so you will be noticed. Raise your hand as soon as there is a call for questions. Stay afterwards and talk to reporters about a candidate's response to your questions, and about universal health care. Tailor your approach to the candidate and what you’ve learned about his or her stance on universal health care. Check in with the U2K Coordinators in your state or the U2K staff about the candidate’s statements on health care. You can even ask for clarification of a statement that was made in a previous speech or debate.

Tell personal stories, and be passionate, but avoid name-calling or blaming. Write down your question beforehand. It should be concise, but well informed on the issues. You want to ask a substantive question that gets people thinking. Stand in a spot where you can shake the candidate’s hand, and ask your question then. Candidates often shake hands with the crowd at the beginning and end of the event. Don’t let go of the candidate’s hand until he or she has heard your question and begun a response.

Getting Commitments

When you get a commitment or statement in support of universal health care from a candidate, send a letter confirming it. Let him or her know that you intend to publicize the statement with your membership, other organizations and the general public. Report to the U2K office to help us track candidate's positions.

Candidate Question Adapted from the NH Asks Campaign, NH Citizens Alliance

Health care is a big issue in the 2000 elections. When candidates for Congress talk about health care, let's make sure they're talking about universal, comprehensive, affordable, publicly accountable health care. Let's ask:

America's health care costs too much, covers too little, and excludes too many. If elected, what will you do to ensure that all Americans have access to universal, comprehensive, affordable and publicly accountable health care?

By asking this question of candidates in the 2000 elections, broad coalitions of U2K endorsers can work locally to place universal health care back on the national agenda, and move America towards achieving universal health care.

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