Health Care for America NOW (HCAN) 2009 rally and lobby day was held in Upper Senate Park, Washington D.C. (HCAN Photo)

On June 25, 2009, delegations of community leaders from 40 states, over 10,000 people in all, gathered in Upper Senate Park, Washington D.C. as part of the Health Care For America Now (HCAN) 2009 rally and lobby day. Rally goers filled nearly every inch of the park, which sits just across the street from the Capitol. It was a culmination of months of grassroots efforts to reform our nation’s health care system.

The Nebraska delegation was made up of nine individuals passionate about making high quality, affordable health care a reality for all our residents. I was honored to be a part of this group. Health care reform is of personal and professional importance to me. We own/operate a family farm (which requires us to attempt to find high quality insurance on the private market), and I work part-time as a registered nurse where I see patients on a daily basis struggle to access adequate, affordable health care.

Melissa Florell, an intern for the Center for Rural Affairs’ research and analysis program is pictured above with actress Edie Falco of The Sopranos who told her story of struggling to navigate the health care system before she was covered as part of a group insurance plan.

The rally began with stories from individuals from across the nation. Small business owners, physicians, nurses, pastors, and farmers, each gave compelling evidence about how the current system keeps adequate health care out of reach for so many people. We spoke about the rising cost and declining quality of health insurance, about our friends and family who delay health care because they can’t afford it, or fear becoming uninsurable.

As the rally continued, actress Edie Falco of The Sopranos told her story of struggling to navigate the health care system before she was covered as part of a group insurance plan. Ms. Falco was followed by lawmakers, including Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who spoke about the bills being drafted in Congress and stressed the importance of continued grassroots efforts to support health reform legislation. The take home message was clear – America can and must do better.

On the afternoon of June 25, the Nebraska delegation met with the Deputy Chief of Staff and other staff members for Senator Ben Nelson. During this meeting each of us was able to re-tell our story and relate Nebraska’s need for health care reform. The meeting was a good one, but underscored the importance of continued efforts to work toward health care reform. Congressmen need to continue to hear from individuals, rather than industry representatives, that health care reform is vital to rural America.

Contributed by: Melissa Florell, an intern for the Center for Rural Affairs’ research and analysis program. Melissa is working toward a master’s degree from Yale University, specializing in Nursing Management, Policy, and Leadership and farms near Kearney, Nebraska. You can contact her at melissa.florell@yale.edu.