We, the undersigned, do hereby petition our Senator, Mitch McConnell, to halt the undemocratic process being used to develop the healthcare reform bill, currently known as the Better Care Reconciliation Act.  We call for bipartisan committees, open hearings, and an amendment process sufficient to allow input from both parties.  We call for opportunities for all stakeholders to be invited to participate in the process of developing a bill.  We demand a process of sufficient duration to accomplish the above.

    We request that any healthcare bill safeguard our most vulnerable citizens.  We oppose the currently proposed cuts to Medicaid including elimination of the expansion and the change to per capita caps/block grants that will reduce revenue available to care for the disabled and elderly.  We oppose changes that fail to adequately protect those with pre-existing conditions and that burden older Americans with premiums that are unaffordable.  We oppose the elimination of protections such as lifetime limits and essential health benefits.  We oppose any bill whose CBO score indicates that substantial numbers of citizens will lose health insurance because losing health insurance coverage can mean losing life for many individuals as well as significant loss of liberty and quality of life for millions more.