CAREGIVERS MUST LEAD THE FIGHT

What ACTION can I take?

Fresno homecare worker Norma Raya

As caregivers, we see the impact of the healthcare crisis each day on the job. We also understand the ins and outs of why some healthcare policies are good ideas and why others are not.
While Sacramento seems ready to act, it's up to us to guide them in the right direction.The public and elected officials trust us to tell the truth about what's wrong with the healthcare system and why we must change it.

That's why, for over a month now,UHWmembers have been meeting with legislative leaders in Sacramento, sharing our stories and our ideas about what's wrong with the healthcare system, and how to fix it.

• Many of us have friends or family members who have been unable to receive care they need because they don‘t have insurance, or because the deductible is too high.

• We've seen first hand the way facility budgets are slashed and quality patient care is sacrificed to address the high costs of uncompensated care.

• We've seen the uninsured crowd ER's seeking primary care they should be getting earlier and more cheaply from primary care providers – and we've seen too many of them face real emergencies that could have and should have been prevented.

• We've seen patients with full-time jobs forced to make tough choices between medicine and food or rent because they have no coverage.

• In some cases, we also know what it's like for ourselves or our families not to have health coverage, even though we work full time.

All these experiences make our voices extremely important in the debate over what reform of California's healthcare system should look like.