Get Started:Which provisions of the Affordable Care Act affect you? ban on denying insurance for those with a pre-existing condition lifting yearly and lifetime caps dependents on insurance to age 26 reproductive and preventative care I can now afford insurance on the exchange Other I am a (select all that apply)EducatorVeteran / Military FamilyYouth / StudentWomenSeniorSmall Business OwnerMedical ProfessionalElectedCommunity LeaderCoalition PartnerFarmerSportsman / HunterPerson of FaithFirst Time VolunteerLong Serving VolunteerLaw Enforcement / First ResponderAfrican AmericanLatinoImmigrantStep 1: Introduce yourself and your relationship to the community.Start off your story by sharing a little about yourself. This allows others to connect with you, establishes credibility, and captures their attention. Write a sentence or two describing who you are and your relationship within the community.Example: I've lived in Nashville for 10 years, working every day as a teacher in East Nashville. I have two kids myself I'm trying to raise and we spend our weekends at Hyde Park. These details help people connect with you.A little about me...*TIPS Tell us about you first. How long have you been in the community? Where do you work or did you work? What part of town are you in? What can you say to show you are local and like other people who live in your city? Because of the perspectives you selected, below are some specific questions to try to answer in writing out your introduction:What is your business?When did you start it?How many employees do you have?Why did you start your business?How was your business in 2008? How is it now?How is your business or other businesses impacted by the issue you are writing about?How does your perspective of a business owner shape your feelings about this issue?Can you give a specific example about your relationship with this issue?What branch of the military did you or your family member serve?How long? What was your rank/position and what is the right way to refer to you now? Retired? Veteran?Why did you decide to join the military? What influenced your decision?What grade do you teach? What do you teach?What got you into teaching? What influenced your decision to start teaching? Why do you stay?Where are you a student?What are you studying?When do you hope to graduate?Do you have student loans? What made you decide on your major? or if you aren't in college yet, what do you hope to be your major?What drives your faith?How long have you been a person of faith and what keeps you a person of faith?How does your faith influence the issue you are writing about?What type of law enforcement or part of 1st responder are you?How long have you been doing it?What influenced your decision to become a 1st responder or local law enforcement?How does your job as a first responder or local enforcement person influence your position on this issue?What is your role in the medical profession?How long have you been a medical professional?What influenced your decision to become a medical professional?How does your job as a medical professional influenced the issue you're writing about?Can you give a specific example?How old were you when you first started hunting/fishing?What got you into it? What was it like when you first started?How does your perspective of a sportsmen influence the issue you're writing about?Can you give a specific example?How long have you had a relationship with the issue you are writing about?As a senior, how has this issue influenced you the most?How does your perspective of a senior influence the issue you're writing about?Can you give a specific example?As a woman, how have you been influenced by this issue?Can you give a specific example?When did you know you wanted to come to America? What led you to that decision?Can you give a specific example?Step 2: What is your relationship to the health care provision(s) you selected?Take a few sentences to explain how you or someone you know has been affected by key provisions of the Affordable Care Act. When did you find out you would need health coverage? What happened or when did you first realize the provision of the ACA was so important to you? How have you been affected? How would you be affected if it were repealed? If it is important to your values, share some background as to where those values come from.Talk about when you first learned about your pre-existing condition, what happened?What happened to cause you to reach lifetime or yearly caps? How did it affect you? How would removal of these provisions affect you?If you're the dependent, talk about why being able to stay on your parents insurance mattered to you. How did it affect you, your decisions? If you're the parent, how did it affect you, your family or your dependent?How have you been affected? What would happen if this were repealed?What's your relationship to this issue?*TIPS Have you always felt strongly about access to health care? If so, why? If not, what changed? Tell me more about [you or person they know affected]. How has the ACA helped [them or you]? How has it affected your peace of mind? Opponents in Congress are threatening to repeal Obamacare, meaning up to 59 million people will lose their insurance. What would that mean for you [and people you know] personally? What values drive your support for health care? Where do those values come from? Step 3: Drive home your point Edit / rephrase any talking points below into your own words and close out your story with a call for action!Better coverage, Affordable coverage. Obamacare is making health care work better for all of us, even if you already have insurance. It puts the health of your family first—ensuring access to free preventive care and protecting consumers from insurance company abuses. There's a lot of misinformation out there. For too long, too many hard working Americans paid the price for policies that handed free rein to insurance companies. ObamaCare gives families the security they deserve, it holds insurance companies accountable, keeps health care costs in check, and gives Americans more freedom and control in their health care choices and improves the quality of care.Make your point and ask for action*TIPS How are you different today? Mention the problem or need you want addressed. Talk about what will help. Make your "ask". Make your story more powerful: Add a photo! A quick photo of yourself holding a piece of paper with your call to act can be an extra powerful way to spread your message.Do you want to add a photo?* Yes No Add a PhotoMake your story more powerful by including a photo of you holding a piece of paper with what you are FOR, signed by your first name and include your city which makes it local and powerful! We will add to our online blog -- and you can decide whether you wish to send it to your representative later!Upload a photo to feature with letterAccepted file types: jpg, jpeg, png, gif.FileCaptionTake a photo of yourself holding a sign that says "#EnoughAlready!" - [YOUR NAME] of [YOUR CITY]Upload it here or email to digital@ofatn.com First Name* Last Name* Street Address* City* State*-- select --ALAKASAZARCACOCTDEDCFMFLGAGUHIIDILINIAKSKYLAMEMHMDMAMIMNMSMOMTNENVNHNJNMNYNCNDMPOHOKORPWPAPRRISCSDTNTXUTVTVIVAWAWVWIWYZip* Region*-- select --Tri-CitiesKnoxvilleChattanoogaRural MiddleNashvilleRural WestMemphisEmail* PhoneTwitter handle (Include the @ symbol!) So we can tweet a thank you to you, which will inspire others to write a letter as well! Select where to send your story!:Send to my Representative* Yes No ALERT! If this is your first time using this tool you'll first need to respond to an email from "opencongress.org" that you'll receive after submitting this form. It will ask you for contact info so your email gets routed correctly.You only need to do this once! And then it will remember you for the next time! Here's what to look for: HiddenSend as Letter to Editor Yes No ALERT!We're emailing you a copy of your story you can send to local newspapers. Check your email for the subject: "I'm your draft Letter to Editor" In it you'll see a link to our barackobama.com Letter to Editor tool where you can select your state and find contact info for local papers. Here's what it looks like:HiddenSelect to send your letter to local newspaper editors and blogs Tennessean Chattanoogan.com Nooga.com Chattanooga Times Free Press Cookeville Herald-Citizen Knoxville News Sentinel Murfreesboro Daily News Journal Murfreesboro MTSU Newspaper Cleveland Daily Banner Columbia Daily Herald Fake Paper 1 Fake Paper 2 Weakley County Press Organizing for Action - Tennessee Blog NOTE: Please wait 60 seconds while we send this amazing story to the right places!ACAType HiddenStory Type: Pre-Existing Condition HiddenStory Type: Benefit Caps HiddenStory Type: Dependent Coverage HiddenStory Type: Reproductive/Preventive Care HiddenStory Type: Affordability HiddenSent to Press HiddenSent to Representatives HiddenApply Activist Code: Letter to Rep HiddenAdded to Vetting Sheet? Yes
