I’ve received quite a few responses to my first three messages advocating health-care reform.

People have shared stories with me of health-care crises. Some have told me they are contacting their members of Congress to urge reform.

Others have accused me somehow of advocating socialism or abortion or misrepresenting The United Methodist Church’s position on health care. A couple of people have written to say there’s no particular need to move quickly toward health-care reform.

In all three of my messages, I have asked United Methodists to request their members of Congress make certain health-care reform legislation includes:

1. A public option to compete against the rapacious health insurance companies.
2. Coverage for everyone.

Both of these are goals established by The United Methodist Church’s General Conference, our denomination’s highest policy-making body.

14,000 people per day are losing their health insurance. We live in a capitalist economic system in the United States. If you cannot afford to pay for health insurance or food or housing, that’s too bad. Many forms of charity exist to help some of those who face misfortune, but there’s not enough of it to meet the needs of everyone in crisis. This is especially so during an economic downturn when unemployment is rising to 10% and perhaps beyond.

Even if enough good-hearted people and churches and hospitals and institutions are willing to provide charity, we still face the unrelenting demands of justice. It’s simply not right for people to lose their coverage because of a pre-existing condition or because they have lost their job or because a child develops cancer. That’s injustice.

Who does not have health care? Disproportionately, it is the poor and the aged.

Our denomination does not equivocate on the remedy for this situation. Our General Conference says, “Resolved, that The United Methodist Church exert influence through all its structures and means to connectionally advocate and fervently lobby the federal government for the adoption and implementation of a totally nonprofit health insurance system, a single-payer system administered by the federal government.”

General Conference also emphasizes: “The prophet Ezekiel denounced the leaders of ancient Israel whose failure of responsible government included failure to provide health care: ‘You have not strengthened the weak, you have not healed the sick, you have not bound up the injured, you have not brought back the strayed, you have not sought the lost, but with force and harshness you have ruled them’ (Ezekiel 34:4). The United Methodist Church therefore affirms in our Social Principles health care as a basic human right and affirms the duty of government to assure health care for all.”

President Obama said last night in his press conference that unless we have a single-payer system we will not cover everyone. The current plans before Congress will cover, perhaps, 97% of Americans. Our elected leaders don’t intend to cover everyone because, regardless of political party, too many of our members of Congress are beholden to powerful corporate interests that profit from the current unjust system.

I have learned from being in ministry on Capitol Hill, though, that the only thing members of Congress like more than being here is being re-elected. If they fear their chances of re-election are in doubt, they will abandon their corporate masters and heed the will of their constituents. This is the moment for your voice to be heard.

Please take action now, sign-up to get updates on health-care reform activities that you can be a part of this summer.

And don't forget to contact your members of Congress immediately, urging them to support health-care reform. You can reach the offices of your senators and representatives through the Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121.

Peace in Christ,

Jim Winkler
General Secretary