The health care reform debate continues to be portrayed through polarizing perspectives, often failing to acknowledge the important voices that need to be heard by our legislators. While Obama’s speech last night was encouraging for many of us, the fight is no where near over. We still aren’t hearing from the families, veterans, and business owners, uninsured and insured people who will be affected by many of the policy changes associated with health care reform. These voices are being drowned out by the big insurance companies, lobbyists and conservative groups pushing their way to the front of the conversation. As we’ve seen at town halls around Missouri and the nation, the loudest voice often sounds like its representative of the majority. We need to make the loudest voice come from real people with real challenges. For many Missourian’s, failing to create a good health care bill NOW will mean that the individuals and families who need quality, affordable health care will suffer.

In several key states and counties around the country, a team of film makers, grassroots leaders and volunteers are asking people for their health care stories. You can check some of them out at

http://www.statefairstories.org

At the Phelps county fair we heard the message loud and clear, “We need quality, affordable health insurance now!”

Margaret Cardin from Rolla, MO:  My husband had a heart attack. We don’t have heart surgeons at our local hospital.   One shot they gave my husband just so they hope he would survive to make the flight to get him to St. Louis was $5,000. It ended up throwing us into bankruptcy.