Washington, D.C. -- On the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Tracy Pierce is honored during a candlelight vigil in his memory.
Tracy Pierce lost his life on January 18th, 2006 at the age of 37 after a courageous 16-month battle with Kidney Cancer. Tracy had health insurance through his wife’s employer who continually denied the lifesaving treatments ordered by his physician, causing Tracy's "death by denial." Tracy was a Journeyman Carpenter with Local #61 in Kansas City, Missouri. Tracy was the proud father of a 15 year old boy, a brother, a son, a friend to many and the husband of Julie Pierce. Julie promised her husband that his fight would not end with his death. Tracy’s story is featured in "SiCKO" along with many other Americans who suffered heart wrenching losses as their for-profit health insurance companies gained financially.
Members of Tracy Pierce's family (brother Kevin Pierce, son Tracy Pierce, Jr., and widow Julie Pierce) kneel in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., on Friday evening, Sept. 28, after a vigil in memory of Tracy. Tracy Pierce's story is featured in SiCKO and represents the stories of many Americans who have lost their lives due to the health care crisis in this nation. Behind the Pierce family members are SiCKO's Larry and Donna Smith, John Graham and Adrian Campbell with members of the California Nurses Association. The CNA co-sponsored the vigil along with HealthCare-Now, Physicians for a National Health Plan, Progressive Democrats of America, HealthCare for All Colorado and American Patients for Universal Health Care.
Larry and Donna Smith (left and center) are also featured in "SiCKO." They lost their home, but they did not lose their dignity or their passion to fight for health care justice. Donna founded and created American Patients for Universal Health Care (
APUHC) in July 2007.
CLiCK here to see American SiCKO Donna Smith speak at the vigil.
Before the vigil, American SiCKO Adrian Campbell and Donna and Larry Smith attended the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's annual legislative conference. Pictured is H.R. 676 Sponsor Rep. John Conyers, Jr. with Adrian.
CLiCK here to see American SiCKO Adrian Campbell promoting H.R. 676.
Oklahoma City -- In front of the Oklahoma State Capitol, Tracy Pierce is remembered in the battle for health care justice. 
American SiCKO Reggie Cervantes addresses the crowd during a Health Care Justice rally. Reggie Cervantes worked as a volunteer emergency medical worker at ground zero in the immediate aftermath of the attacks on the twin towers. Cervantes suffers from a number of respiratory problems, as well as post traumatic stress disorder, due to the time she spent at the site. Cervantes -- who worked as a volunteer emergency medical technician for nine years -- traveled to Cuba with Michael Moore to receive medical attention and appeared in 'SiCKO.' She now lives in Oklahoma City with her two children.
Labels: Adrian Campbell, John Conyers, julie pierce, reggie cervantes, Tracy Pierce
You say "tomato," I say "tomahto"
You say "miscarriage," I say "elective abortion" (and deny your claim)
"Now, on Aug, 29 2007 my husband and I suffered a devastating miscarriage. Being near midnight we went to the ER. The hospital was very compassionate about our loss and was able to get us in quickly and expedited our treatment. The following day I called BCBS and informed them that we had made a visit to the ER, and was told it wasn't necessary to call them just for ER visits, but only when we are admitted. Believing that BCBS would never make the mistakes at they did the previous and only time we have used our insurance I thought everything would go smoothly. Boy was I wrong!"
CLiCK here to read more...Tell BlueCross BlueShield of Kansas City to Electively Abort Their Cruel Practices :2301 Main St
Kansas City, MO 64108
(816)395-2222
Email Here (or to random address below):products@bcbskc.comLabels: BlueCross BlueShield, Denied Claim
If the U.S.A. jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge, would Canada follow? Ontario Opposition Leader John Tory seems to think so. Ontario Public Service Employees Union sounds the alarm:
"
Why is John Tory so eager to push us into more U.S.-style health care delivery? Hasn't he seen Michael Moore's film Sicko? We'd gladly buy him a ticket." -- OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas
This week in Sacramento, three women who have suffered the slings and arrows of America's broken health care system tried to visit California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and tell him about the dangers of for-profit health insurance. This is how they were treated:
They called a phone number on a business card given to them by a trooper. After making their way through the menu options – including number three which would have told them the latest news on Maria Shriver – the women finally reached a staff aide who said, “Don’t you think it’s rude to request a meeting with the governor on such short notice?” The women did not feel they had been rude at all. The staffer asked for a cell phone number but then chastised the women for not speaking fast enough, “Look, I need the number quickly,” he said. The 'SiCKO' women are pretty sure he never wrote down that number.
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CLiCK here to read more about the American SiCKO's trip to Sacramento]
Last month, we told you about a group of dedicated activists in Port Huron, Michigan who
picketed their local theater, which wasn't showing 'SiCKO.' Members of local group BlueNovember.org wanted the movie in their area to let their community know how sick our health care system has become.
This week, their hard work paid off. Local residents can now sit down and enjoy 'SiCKO' at the Krafft 8 in Port Huron. BlueNovember members say they are happy the theater agreed to screen 'SiCKO' -- but they know their work isn't over:
'SiCKO' is an instrument of truth about more than our disastrous national health care problems; it is a message about how our American culture has been shaped into a construct of millions of MEs instead of one U.S. Let us now be courageous, work together, and demand change not only for health care, but also for the mentality that got us here in the first place.
CLiCK here to read more about BlueNovember.org's work
Jeanne Sather has more to offer than just cancer:
Jeanne has incurable cancer. She can no longer afford her treatment in the U.S, so she hopes that, if she marries a Canadian, she will gain access to our publicly funded health-care system.
Her personal health-care costs have been punishing. She figures she's spent close to $200,000 since she was diagnosed. She adds that what she pays is only a fraction of the cost to treat her disease. The bill for treating her cancer, which has spread to her bones, is about $300,000 a year.
CLiCK here to read moreDon't hide your Canadian lovin' from
The Assertive Cancer Patient
Activists in Chicago, Illinois gathered outside Blue Cross Blue Shield Illinois last week, and let the private insurer know that Americans are sick of our broken health care system:
"We estimate between 40 to 50 people attended. It was energetic, loud and serious," reports Elizabeth Lalasz of Chicago Single Payer Action Network. She said the group formed a circle in front of the building and chanted, "Hey Blue Cross, what do you say, how many claims did you deny today?" and "People over profits, single-payer now."
Blue Cross security officials did their best to keep the company's employees away from the protests, but despite their best efforts, some of the insurer's own workers let the activists know that they, too, are sick of our system:
Several BCBS executives came out, as well as security, to make sure BCBS employees didn't talk to any of the protesters. In fact, security made the employees go out the side entrance in order to avoid the CSPAN group. So, the group moved the picket over to where the employees were coming out, and a decent number of BCBS employees took CSPAN flyers and Lalasz said several of them mouthed, "I agree with you." Later, CSPAN got word that BCBS employees received an email directing them to not talk to the protesters.
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CLiCK here to read more about the protests]
Larry Smith, an American SiCKO, is taking a stand for patients across the country. He won't be giving any more business to doctors that don't support universal, single-payer health care.
Larry Smith has had enough. Smith plans to take his medical records and his medical payments from Medicare and insurance for his on-going care to a doctor that supports universal health care. No more feeding the beast of for-profit medical groups determined to push more patients – and therefore more revenue – through the door every hour rather than offer the level of care being paid for by millions of Americans.
[CLiCK here to read more]
