In DC Americans Take On Health Insurance Executives

On Tuesday, I had the pleasure to join thousands of others who took to the streets of Washington DC in support of health care reform and to protest the insurance industry executives who were gathered at the Ritz Carlton. On the same morning, the cover of the New York Times highlighted President Obama's recent focus on the greed of the insurance companies. For a striking moment in a long battle, the message in the White House and the message on the streets were chanting the same theme:

Without Health Care Reform, insurance companies will keep America Sick For Profit:

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Health Care for America Now organized the thousands of religious leaders, labor unions, and individuals concerned about health care reform, as they marched to surround the Ritz as health insurance executives were inside, meeting about how to continue to increase their profits.

Ten heads of progressive organizations were briefly detained when, on behalf of the large crowd, they attempted citizens' arrests on the heads of the insurance companies.

Online and around the country, progressive activists also continue the fight to increase the number of Congress Members who have signed on in support of a public option being included in reconciliation.

Often the discussion over health care comes down to numbers.

45,000 Americans die each year due to lack of health insurance.

86.7 Million Americans were uninsured at some point in the last two years.

In California, Anthem Blue Cross is trying to raise the price of premiums by as much as 39% for customers with individual policies.

In their last quarter's earnings, Anthem Blue Cross reported an eight-fold profit.

Angela Braly, the CEO of Wellspring, which just merged with Anthem, makes $9.8 Million a year.

Wellspring spends $9.5 Million a year on lobbying.

And yet, as Tuesday's action, and as the overwhelmingly tenacious efforts of those who support health care reform, constantly remind us, the true story behind the need for health care reform cannot be told in numbers alone.

Many of Tuesday's protesters wore buttons with the face of Melanie Shouse on them. Melanie was an active MoveOn member who worked for health care reform. She died recently of breast cancer. Melanie was a small business owner who could only afford "catastrophic" insurance, and so put off visiting doctors when she first showed signs of illness, as those visits were not covered.

Also present on the streets of DC was Leslie Boyd, who lost her son, Mike, after he was unable to get the proper treatment for cancer, due to lack of insurance. Leslie has made it her life's work to fight for health care reform, so that others have more of a chance then her son did. She carries a large photo of him everywhere she goes.

The numbers on the street Tuesday, the numbers of uninsured, the amount of profit and premium increases insurance companies focus on, and the numbers of members of Congress willing to step up and vote for health care reform to become law all come back to stories like these.

This is an issue of numbers. This is an issue of individual and singular lives.

All Americans - our friends, families and neighbors - deserve accessible, affordable and comprehensive health care. And we deserve it now.

The numbers and the math add up. And when the White House and the thousands on the streets are chanting the same thing, the messaging is united behind those numbers - all highlighting the need for reform to be passed now.

Health insurance executives, left to their own devices, will continue to keep America sick for their own profit. Encourage Congress and President Obama to show leadership and to pass health care reform now.