Do you have to be VIP to get health care? Or be on the list? If you’re not, most likely you’re getting turned away just like in a video by Will Coley, one of our favorite immigrant rights activists new video, Dying to Get In.

Watch below:

Just a quick update on health care: Only one Republican senator voted for reform last week, so it still seems like the light at the end of the tunnel is miles away. President Obama and 60% of the public favor the public option. Jim Crawford from the Irontron Tribune tells us that the only way that affordable health care can be extended to more people is to adopt the public option-

A public option means an insurance offering with government employees setting rates and government purchasers providing payments. It means something almost exactly like Medicare. Without a public option the status quo, insurers setting rates, high administrative costs, huge profits for the denial of care, are all left as they are today… out of control.

We are hoping that this reform comes soon,and that when it does, it extends to the immigrant community as well- it is difficult to be optimistic about that aspect of reform while recalling the infamous incident where Congressman Joe Wilson screamed “You Lie” at President Obama, even while he denied that the reform would extend healthcare to immigrants.

What does give us hope is the tireless work that Will has been doing towards securing human rights for the immigrant community, now focusing on more equitable health care for all. After working with immigrants and refugees in different parts of the world, Will Coley started Acquifer Media, which provides support to non-profit organizations by producing social media content that uses effective story-telling techniques to promote advocacy and human rights. If you want to hear about how Will got inspired to work on immigrant rights, check this out!

October 19, 2009 by ishita
Tags: Detention Watch Network, health insurance, healthcare, Healthcare Reform, Immigrant Rights, Jow Wilson, President Obama, Will Coley, You Lie