FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
December 12, 2024

CONTACTS: Unai Montes, u.montes@peoplesaction.org, 310-962-7369 (bilingual) 
Daniela Ruiz, daniela@communicationsshop.us, 202-945-8320 (bilingual)

People’s Action Institute Addresses the Health Crisis Caused by Corporations that Put Profits Over People Instead of Prioritizing Care Over Cost!

Outpouring of anger against care denials and profit-seeking insurance companies online shows need for urgent changes

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – The health care system in the United States has been broken for years, with private health insurers—like UnitedHealth—denying care at an alarming rate of over 248 million times annually. This widespread practice is not just an inconvenience; it’s a matter of life and death. Millions of Americans are being forced to make unbearable choices: delay or forgo necessary medical treatment, struggle to afford basic needs like food and rent, or face financial ruin.

The need for systemic reform has never been more urgent. That’s why the People’s Action Institute hosted an exclusive press call to spotlight the devastating impact of care denials. During the call, patients, advocates, and organizers shared powerful firsthand accounts of how health insurers’ refusal to pay for essential treatments is destroying lives and driving families into crisis.

“For years, People’s Action Institute has stood with Americans suffering under a health care system that prioritizes corporate profits over patient care,” said Domenico Romero, Chief of Strategy and Partnerships. “The tragic killing of Brian Thompson is a stark reminder that we face crises on multiple fronts—gun violence and health care injustice. We extend our condolences to his family and demand action on both fronts. People across the country are denied the care they need by a system that puts profits above people.”

The Care Over Cost (https://careovercost.org/) campaign by People’s Action Institute has been mobilizing communities to confront the injustices of our broken healthcare system and demand action from political leaders for two years. By empowering individuals to fight back, exposing the failures of private insurers and holding them accountable, the campaign is building momentum to reform and ultimately overhaul the system. 

“In 2022, People’s Action Institute launched the Care Over Cost campaign to address the growing crisis of care denials,” said Aija Nemer-Aanerud, Care Over Cost Campaign Director. “While insurance coverage has expanded, too many Americans still can’t get the care they need when they need it. Insurance companies, driven by profit, often deny necessary treatment, leaving people with heart-wrenching stories of delays and unaffordable bills. We’ve fought back by holding insurers accountable, but despite meetings with major companies like UnitedHealth, they refuse to make meaningful changes. That’s why I was arrested outside UnitedHealthcare’s office this July. It’s clear: the government must act to fix a system that puts profits over people’s health.”

The time to act is now. People’s Action Institute is calling on lawmakers at all levels to take bold action to hold private insurers accountable, ensure access to necessary care, and reform a broken system that prioritizes profit over people’s health.

“The government has the power to curb this epidemic of care denials in privatized Medicare, privatized Medicaid, marketplace and employer-run plans,” said Megan Essaheb, Director of Federal Affairs at People’s Action Institute. “We’re calling on policymakers at every level to take on corporate greed in the insurance industry. States can end claims denials in Medicaid and ACA plans, and Congress can regulate privatized Medicare, stopping the harmful practice of prior authorizations that delay care. The solution is simple: government action to hold insurers accountable and protect people’s health.”

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There is a crisis of gun violence in America. There is a health care crisis in America. Both of these crises must end. Our political leaders must act on both. This is bigger than any politician or political party. We need solutions that meet the scale of need.

We’ve been working for two years on the issue of care denials, and the research shows that almost every family in the U.S. will experience the outrage of having a doctor prescribe a treatment only to have an insurance company like UnitedHealthcare get in the way.

Corporations have too much power in this country. They are taking in billions of dollars of profit every year while they’re blocking political progress that would help millions of us. Our Care Over Cost campaign and People’s Action Institute will continue to give people a productive, nonviolent, democratic way to solve this problem.”  

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Contact: Unai Montes, u.montes@peoplesaction.org, 310.962.7369 (Bilingual)

The post Statement Regarding the Arrest of a Suspect in Connection With the Shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson appeared first on People's Action.

PRESS CONTACT: Unai Montes, u.montes@peoplesaction.org, 310 962 7369 (Bilingual)

WASHINGTON D.C. – In response to the shooting and death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, People’s Action Institute Executive Director Sulma Arias issued the following statement:

“We were shocked by this horrific act of violence and condemn it; we were not shocked by the outpouring of public anger at UnitedHealthcare in the aftermath. We’ve been working for two years on the issue of care denials, and the research shows that virtually every family in the U.S. has experienced the outrage of having a doctor prescribe a treatment only to have an insurance company like UnitedHealthcare get in the way. 

“At the same time that UnitedHealthcare is denying these claims, they are taking in billions of dollars of profit every year. And, to make things worse, corporations have too much power in this country, and they’re blocking political progress that would help millions, just like they’re blocking progress on the epidemic of gun violence, of which this killing was another example. 

“So when people have this anger, and they see that the systems around them don’t deal with the problem, we bring people together to channel this private pain into constructive policy change. We’re proud of that work, and we will continue that work. We express our condolences to the family of Brian Thompson and all those affected by gun violence.”

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Wednesday, December 4, 2024

PRESS CONTACT: Unai Montes, u.montes@peoplesaction.org, 310 962 7369 (Bilingual)

WASHINGTON D.C. – In response to the shooting and death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, People’s Action Institute Executive Director Sulma Arias issued the following statement:

“We are shocked by the news of the tragic killing of Brian Thompson. We offer our condolences to his loved ones. Law enforcement has not identified the shooter or their motivations. We know there is a crisis of gun violence in America. There is also a crisis of denials of care by private health insurance corporations including UnitedHealth. The People’s Action Care Over Cost campaign gives people a productive, nonviolent, democratic way to create change on this problem. Both of these crises must end. Our political leaders must act on both.” 

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Due to Trump’s Project 2025 implementation

• The number of people denied care by UnitedHealthcare’s Medicare Advantage plans would jump to 5.2 million people annually.
• UnitedHealthcare would likely take in $274 billion annually from privatized Medicare alone. 
• UnitedHealth Group, the parent company of UnitedHealthcare, would likely gain more revenue and profit due to Project 2025 implementation than any other health corporation.

Summary: UnitedHealth would be one of the largest financial beneficiaries of Project 2025, since it is the largest private health insurance corporation in America, the 4th largest company in the country, and the largest writer of privatized Medicare Advantage plans, with 7.8 million people insured through a UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plan. Because of UnitedHealth’s massive scale, the harm it causes through its denials of care is unprecedented – whether through prior authorization denials, claim denials, and inadequate networks that prevent beneficiaries from receiving care or increase the financial strain of receiving care. UnitedHealth would be empowered by Trump’s Project 2025 to harm more Americans than virtually any other private corporation, other than fossil fuel companies, that benefits from his plan. 

Trump’s Project 2025 lays the groundwork for the eventual complete privatization of Medicare: it plans to “Make Medicare Advantage the default enrollment option,” despite the fact that privatized Medicare costs the public more than traditional public Medicare. 

Under this plan, people who are sick or injured will stay sick longer, even dying while UnitedHealthcare and other privatized Medicare plans delay or deny their treatment. Millions more people who get the treatment they need will be wrongly stuck with bills that force them to choose between rent or medicine and debt collectors. 

The scale of UnitedHealth’s financial benefit and harm caused due to Trump’s Project 2025.

Currently half of Medicare recipients are insured through a privatized version of the program called Medicare Advantage. By making privatized Medicare the default option, Project 2025 envisions a completely privatized program – roughly doubling Medicare Advantage Organizations’ (of which UnitedHealthcare is the largest) cost and harms to people insured by the program. 

People insured: UnitedHealthcare would be expected to cover 15.6 million people via its Medicare Advantage plans as the eventual result of Project 2025’s passage with a Trump victory. The Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Health & Human Services found that Medicare Advantage Organizations (of which UnitedHealthcare is the largest) improperly denied care (prior-authorization denial) 13% of the time and denied payment for care improperly 18% of the time. Because this is a denial rate per procedure, not per person, an estimated 33% of people covered by Medicare Advantage experience a denial by their privatized insurer annually. With Project 2025’s implementation that would mean 5.2 million people would be denied care by UnitedHealthcare alone. This figure is well above traditional Medicare denial rates due to inappropriate denials and denials outside the scope of traditional Medicare rules. 

Focus on UnitedHealth Group: While all private insurers who offer Medicare Advantage policies would financially benefit from Project 2025’s adoption, UnitedHealth would likely benefit the most as the largest private health insurance corporation in America, the 4th largest company in the country, and the largest writer of privatized Medicare Advantage plans with 7.8 million people insured through a UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plan. According to an analysis by KFF Health News, Medicare Advantage plans are the most profitable for insurers (compared to privatized Medicaid and insurance people obtain through employers). In fact Medicare Advantage insurers made a gross margin (profit) of $1,982 per person they covered. 

UnitedHealthcare’s revenue from Medicare Advantage, an estimated $137 billion, could be expected to double to $274 billion annually as a result of Project 2025. UnitedHealth Group would likely benefit the most in sheer profit and revenue compared with any other company in America. 

Beyond the financial waste and cost to people in America caused by the increased privatization of Medicare, this causes health concerns because of the high denial rates within Medicare Advantage. UnitedHealthcare would be expected to cover 15.6 million people via its Medicare Advantage plans as the eventual result of Project 2025’s passage with a Trump victory. WIth 33% of recipients experiencing denials annually that would mean 5.2 million people would be denied care annually by UnitedHealthcare alone.

The post UnitedHealth Will Be a Top Beneficiary of Trump’s Project 2025 appeared first on People's Action.

Every month People’s Action shares the latest victories,
campaigns and events from our member groups

Stronger together: these words have special meaning as we think of the legacy of a true giant in our midst, longtime People’s Action and Community Voices Heard board member Joseph Mpa, who passed away on September 30.

Joseph was many things to many people, especially to those of us in the People’s Action extended family: a peacemaker, master negotiator, always ready to step in to carry a banner, resolve a dispute, and illuminate a sense of hope and potential in a desperate situation. In the words of People’s Action’s former director, George Goehl, “Every meeting or conversation I had with him was like being with a sage.”

After joining the board of People’s Action in 2016, Mpa helped guide the newly formed group as nine national organizations merged to create the united network we know today. He always held a steady moral and strategic compass, the same one he held for each of us.

Mpa was many other things, beyond People’s Action to his family, friends and loved ones: he was a teenage Black Panther, hip hop pioneer, gang trucemaker and mentor to youth. You can read about Joseph’s extraordinary journey here.

If there’s one thing Joseph demonstrated to all of us at People’s Action, it is that we’re always stronger together. I think this especially in our turbulent season, as we face the most consequential election of our lifetimes. And yet we must also continue our patient yet determined work to hold elected officials to account at every level and demand solutions, as Joseph did, for improvements to our social safety net, criminal justice system, housing, health care, and for our planet.

All of these things are top of mind for People’s Action members and member organizations around the country, many of whom held their annual gatherings, town halls and public meetings this month. Read on to learn about some of these inspiring events in Kentucky, Iowa, Texas, Indiana, Washington State, and Illinois.

At People’s Action, we are thankful and inspired by the life and legacy of Joseph Mpa. Truly, we stand on the shoulders of giants.

In solidarity,

Amanda Weaver
People’s Action

Lead Story

Rest In Power: The Life and Legacy of Joseph Mpa

Joseph Mpa, who passed away on September 30, 2024, was an advocate for freedom and the rights of others. He was a comrade and dear friend to many people in the extended People’s Action family. He had an unparalleled soul and spirit who could bring calm and clarity to the most challenging situations. Read more

Organizing Stories

VOCAL-KY: Get Out To Vote, Y’all!

VOCAL-KY is knocking on doors and talking with neighbors all across Louisville to get out the vote! They have a focus on the Black and low-income communities of the city’s West End, where voter turnout has been low in the past. Read more

Indiana: Hoosier Action Hosts EverybodyIN Town Hall

More than 200 Hoosiers from 20 Indiana counties gathered in Scottsburg for the EverybodyIN Southern Indiana Town Hall for All, which featured powerful presentations by Hoosier Action members about their experiences with the shortcomings of health care, housing and the barriers and stigma associated with substance use and incarceration. Read more

Iowa CCI is Public School Strong!

Late summer means a lot of things in Iowa – the State Fair, corn and bean crops filling in, and kids getting ready for school. It’s also when Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (CCI) and their sister organization, Iowa CCI Action, kick into high gear! Read more

VOCAL-TX: First-Ever Mayoral Candidates Forum

VOCAL-TX hosted a first-ever mayoral candidates forum in Austin to ask candidates what they plan to do to address homelessness, HIV/AIDS, the drug war, and mass incarceration. Read more

Washington: OneAmerica Votes Hosts “Our Thriving Home” Member Assembly

“Our Thriving Home” is not just the name of OneAmerica Votes’ annual member assembly, it is their vision for a Washington State where all have what they need to survive and thrive, with elected leaders who work with us and not against our coming together. Read more

Illinois: It’s Public Meeting Time In Chicago!

Public Meetings are a Chicagoland tradition, where powerbuilding organizations like The People’s Lobby and ONE Northside invite elected officials to publicly commit to improve our justice system, health care and housing, and much more. Dozens of electeds showed up at this year’s events! Read more

Recent Media

LISTEN “How To Fight a Factory Farm” Podcast

Iowa CCI has launched a new podcast series, How To Fight a Factory Farm! The first episode of this four-part series features CCI’s Board President, Barb Kalbach, and Strategic Advisor, Hugh Espey. Both have been factory farm fighters for years!

READ: Changing an Election, One Conversation at a Time

Research shows deep canvassing, the technique People’s Action has developed to change hearts and minds around controversial issues, is much more effective than standard methods of political persuasion. Read on to discover how Down Home North Carolina is using these techniques to talk with voters about abortion in Alamance County!

The post Into the Field: We Are Stronger Together appeared first on People's Action.

Joseph Mpa, a longtime board member of People’s Action and Community Voices Heard in New York City, lived a rich and multi-faceted life: he got his first political experience as a teenager with the Black Panther Party, was a pioneer in the early days of hip hop, dedicated his life to youth development, contributed to building an ecosystem of supportive infrastructure in the South Bronx and embodied justice every day of his life. In this video, he tells the story of his early experiences and journey to becoming an organizer.

In 7th grade, through extracurricular reading, he became aware of the Black Panthers and the struggle to obtain racial equality. He soon joined the local Black Panthers chapter right around the corner from where he lived in the Bronx. There he received political education and also helped in the Black Panther Party free breakfast program.

He was a comrade and dear friend to many people in the extended People’s Action family. He had an unparalleled soul and spirit and could bring calm and clarity to the most challenging situations – small member meetings, large-scale public meetings, actions confronting power, tricky board conversations, you name it.

Joseph guided so many of us through some of our most challenging moments. Holding steady a moral and strategic compass as he held each of us. As George Goehl, former Director of People’s Action, said, “Every meeting or conversation I had with him was like being with a sage.”

As a young man, Mpa played a decisive role in negotiating a 1971 gang truce in the Bronx which led to a decline in street violence, and contributed to the emergence of hip hop.

In 1982, Joseph became the first manager of the Cold Crush Brothers – “acknowledged as true pioneers of hip hop, by those who know.” Joseph appears in the podcast Can You Dig It? A Hip-Hop Origin Story. This podcast explores the circumstances that led to the genre’s development in the Bronx. It features Joseph, and is narrated by Public Enemy emcee Chuck D.

Joseph worked for and contributed to several legacy South Bronx Organizations throughout his life. He founded Time to Rise Services and Programs – a consultancy with a focus on community needs and staff development; was the Executive Director of United Bronx Parents; was the Director of Programs/Acting Controller for Directions For Our Youth, Inc., and most recently served as the Operations Manager for the Bronx 161st Street Business Improvement District (BID). He was with the BID in various capacities for 12 years.

Joseph is survived by his partner of ten years, Nina Allen, and his sisters, Alison and Alicia Cox. He was the oldest brother of four children and had three sisters – Anita, Alicia, and Alison. He had a daughter in the spirit, Giselle, and her brother Victor. He has two nieces, two grand nephews, and one grandniece. 

The life and legacy of Joseph Mpa will be celebrated on Saturday, November 2nd from 1-3pm at the MidBronx Senior Citizens Center at 900 Grand Concourse (161st Street) in The Bronx, NY. [RSVP by October 20th to Alic1968@aol.com.]

In lieu of a formal eulogy, guests are invited to briefly share a favorite memory of Joseph.His family has asked that any contributions in his honor be made to the MidBronx Senior Center.

The post Rest In Power: The Life and Legacy of Joseph Mpa appeared first on People's Action.

It’s Public Meeting Time in Chicago! These events are a Chicagoland tradition, where powerbuilding organizations like People’s Action member groups The People’s Lobby and ONE Northside invite elected officials to publicly commit to concrete objectives to reform our justice system, improve our health care and housing, and much more. Dozens of electeds showed up at this year’s events!

It was a packed house at “Building The Future We Deserve,” The People’s Lobby’s public meeting held at the University of Illinois Chicago on October 6. Sate legislators and city officials answered the group’s questions about criminal justice reform, public transit, health care, and workers’ rights and they made public commitments to support the TPL’s campaign goals.

Among those in attendance were state legislators Rep. Lindsay LaPointe, Rep. Will Davis, Rep. Theresa Mah, Sen. Mike Simmons, Sen. Robert Peters, Senate Nominee Graciela Guzmán, and. Sen. Ram Villivalam.

Chicago and Cook County elected officials present at the event included Alderpersons Byron Sigcho Lopez, Daniel La Spata, Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth, Matt Martin, Mike Rodriguez, Desmon Yancy and Andre Vasquez.

At ONE Northside’s annual event, a panel of lawmakers took questions from members. Among the victories they celebrated were taking 40 members to Springfield, Illinois for a Lobby Day and training 50 leaders in the fundamentals of organizing.

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OneAmerica held a successful Member Assembly on September 7th with  over 200 immigrants, refugees, parents, and youth in attendance in downtown Seattle! A multiracial, multilingual base came together from all parts of Washington to share their stories, meet OneAmerica Votes endorsed candidates, and launch the field program for the 2024 general election.

Member-leaders shared why childcare for all, unemployment insurance for undocumented workers, and a tax code that allows Washtington State to fully fund vital programs are important to them. 

“Mothers shouldn’t have to choose between taking care of our children or having the ability to work or grow our skills in school. We should all be able to access and afford childcare, no matter where we come from. Our state has to fund childcare programs to make sure mothers like me can truly thrive,” said Madina, a OneAmerica leader and immigrant from Afghanistan.

At the event, OneAmerica Votes-endorsed candidates, including the Speaker of the Washington House of Representatives, committed to supporting and advancing OneAmerica’s legislative priorities.

The post Washington: OneAmerica Votes Hosts “Our Thriving Home” Member Assembly appeared first on People's Action.

The EverybodyIN Southern Indiana Town Hall for All featured powerful presentations by Hoosier Action members about their experiences with the shortcomings of health care, housing and the barriers and stigma associated with substance use and incarceration.

“A moral society looks after the needs of even the least of these and empowers everyone to have an opportunity to flourish in life,” said Hoosier Action Ohio River Valley leader Pastor Gabe Pfeffer, who shared his experiences with medical debt and called    We’re talking about freedom, but being shackled for decades of debt doesn’t sound like freedom to me.”

Manuel Garcia Arturo, a young professional, immigrant and Columbus resident, shared how the Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP), a form of Medicaid, provided him with essential health coverage after being diagnosed with two chronic illnesses.

Clark County Mom Elizabeth Chun, called out Indiana’s private school voucher program for shifting money from public schools, to unaccountable private ones. “The inability [of private schools] to meet the needs of the most vulnerable students should mean they don’t get to keep profiting from our tax dollars… This has become a question of who gets a future in Indiana.”

Mother-daughter-duo Kyla Thom and Kari Carter,  leaders with Hoosier Action Care, Not Cuffs shared their experiences with how harm reduction, a life-saving, evidence-based approach to the overdose crisis, saves lives. Distributing resources like narcan, the antidote to an opioid overdose, and drug test strips, can prevent overdose deaths by alerting people who use drugs to the presence of fentanyl.

Monroe County Hoosier Action leader and Mom Ashleigh Kerhburg told the room about how having a pre-scheduled postpartum healthcare appointment saved her life when struggling with her mental health after the birth of one of her six kids. She noted that had she not scheduled this appointment in advance, it would’ve taken her months for her to get in with a provider, a delay in care which could’ve had devastating consequences. 

The forum also included Indiana gubernatorial candidates Jennifer McCormick and Donald Rainwater, and a statement from Indidna State Senator Vaneta Becker, who pledged her public support to introduce legislation to tackle the state’s growing medical debt crisis.

As the Town Hall drew to a close, attendees all checked their voter registration, and learned how to find information on early voting or their polling place on Election Day, Tuesday November 5th. Early voting has already begun in Indiana, and if you’re in the Hoosier State, find out where and how to be a voter this year by going to indianavoters.in.gov!

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