The day after a traffic-stopping rally protesting the GOP health care bill, patient advocacy groups hand-delivered thousands of signatures and personal testimonials Wednesday urging Utah's senators to vote against the measure.
The Save Medicaid Utah coalition gave its petition — with more than 5,000 signatures and 1,000 personal stories — to two staffers of Sen. Orrin Hatch at the Wallace F. Bennett Federal Building in downtown Salt Lake City.
The document calls on Utah's senior senator and his Utah Republican colleague, Mike Lee, to vote down the GOP legislation that advocates argue will strip away essential health benefits and programs from the most vulnerable Utahns.
The coalition — including the Utah Health Policy Project, the Disability Law Center, Voices for Utah Children and the Planned Parenthood Association of Utah — started gathering the signatures and stories after a June 10 march on the federal building.
Wednesday's delivery came 24 hours after protesters against the GOP health care plan assembled outside the federal building and blocked traffic on State Street for about a half-hour.
The petition voices concerns about potential cuts and caps to Medicaid, lack of protections for those with pre-existing conditions and the elimination of several essential health services for low-income families. Senate Republican leaders hope to pass the measure, which congressional analysts warn could leave 22 million more Americans without health insurance by 2026, within the coming weeks.
Leigh Fullmer, a Lehi resident with multiple sclerosis, shared her medical story before the petition was delivered. She credited Medicaid with helping to pay for care that slows the advance of her disease and allows her to live her life.
"My niece and I go on walks on the Jordan River Parkway, and I can do that now because of my Medicaid," she said. "I have a part-time job, where I can go to work and be around people and do stuff that is actually important for the company because of my Medicaid."
Coalition advocates and some supporters were invited inside to chat briefly with the Hatch staffers after handing over the petition.
Nate Crippes of the Disability Law Center hopes the testimonials will help the senator understand how Utahns view the GOP plan.
"The important thing we wanted to share with the senator today were the patient stories," he said. "This goes beyond dollars and cents, this goes beyond numbers. This is about people's health, and we wanted to show how this measure could affect their lives."
Hatch spokesman Matt Whitlock said staffers were pleased to meet with advocates and that the senator is grateful for having received their input the past few months.
"[Hatch] will continue to listen to input from constituents as he works to address the undeniable shortcomings of Obamacare," Whitlock said in a statement, "and bring Utahns and all Americans the patient-centered and affordable care they deserve."
kgifford@sltrib.com
Twitter: @kelgiffo
Al Hartmann | The Salt LakeTribune Nate Cripples, with Disabilty Law Center, left, Mica Vorwallen with Utah Health Policy, and Stacy Stanford with Utah Health Policy Project gather up pages with thousands of petition names and about 1,00 with personal stories to deliver to Senator Orrin Hatch's staff members inside the Wallace F. Bennett Federal Building Wednesday June 28 to call for Utah senators to protect Utahns healthcare and keep Medicaid intact. Advocates and community members, such as UHPP, Voices for Utah Children, Utah Indivisible, will be sharing their stories and concerns, as several million now risk losing healthcare coverage under the Senate's proposed Better Care Reconciliation Act.
Al Hartmann | The Salt LakeTribune Advocates and community members, such as Utah Health Policy Project, Voices for Utah Children, Utah Indivisible, and Comunidades Unidas wait in the lobby of the the Wallace F. Bennett Federal Building Wednesday June 28 to petition with thousands of names and personal stories to Senator Orrin Hatch's staff members to keep Medicaid intact.
Al Hartmann | The Salt LakeTribune Nate Cripples, with Disabilty Law Center, left, Mica Vorwallen with Utah Health Policy, and Stacy Stanford with Utah Health Policy Project gather up pages with thousands of petition names and about 1,00 with personal stories to deliver to Senator Orrin Hatch's staff members inside the Wallace F. Bennett Federal Building Wednesday June 28 to call for Utah senators to protect Utahns healthcare and keep Medicaid intact. Advocates and community members, such as UHPP, Voices for Utah Children, Utah Indivisible, will be sharing their stories and concerns, as several million now risk losing healthcare coverage under the Senate's proposed Better Care Reconciliation Act.
Al Hartmann | The Salt LakeTribune Nate Cripples, with Disabilty Law Center, left, Mica Vorwallen with Utah Health Policy, and Stacy Stanford with Utah Health Policy Project gather up pages with thousands of petition names and about 1,00 with personal stories to deliver to Senator Orrin Hatch's staff members inside the Wallace F. Bennett Federal Building Wednesday June 28 to call for Utah senators to protect Utahns healthcare and keep Medicaid intact. Advocates and community members, such as UHPP, Voices for Utah Children, Utah Indivisible, will be sharing their stories and concerns, as several million now risk losing healthcare coverage under the Senate's proposed Better Care Reconciliation Act.
Al Hartmann | The Salt LakeTribune Joanna Smith with Utah Women Unite speaks in front of the Wallace F. Bennett Federal Building Wednesday June 28 to explain why keeping her healthcare insurance is so important in helping her son with autism. After several people shared their personal healthcare stories they delivered pages with thousands of petition names to Senator Orrin Hatch's staff members inside the building calling for Utah senators to protect Utahns healthcare and keep Medicaid intact.
Al Hartmann | The Salt LakeTribune Lee Fulmer speaks at small rally in front of the Wallace F. Bennett Federal Building Wednesday June 28 . She has MS and is dealing with the condition through Medicaid. She receives her special drugs for MS through the program. After several people shared their personal healthcare stories a few at the rally delivered pages with thousands of petition names to Senator Orrin Hatch's staff members inside the building calling for Utah senators to protect Utahns healthcare and keep Medicaid intact.
Al Hartmann | The Salt LakeTribune Sign of person attending a small rally in front of the Wallace F. Bennett Federal Building Wednesday June 28. Pages with thousands of petition nameswere delivered to Senator Orrin Hatch's staff members inside the building calling for Utah senators to protect Utahns healthcare and keep Medicaid intact.
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