Health Care for America Now Rally - Put People Before Profits!

At a rally in front of the insurance giant, Aetna, demonstrators demanded a public option to be part of the national health care legislation. The rally was one of 150 rallies throughout the United States that took place on September 22.

Photo Above: Part of the rally picket line in front of the Aetna home office in Hartford.

Big health insurance companies like Aetna are spending $641,000 a day to oppose reform because they profit by keeping the system as it is...by denying claims, raising premiums, imposing co-pays and deductibles at will, making health care decisions instead of our doctors, and denying care because of pre-existing conditions.

Ron Williams, the Aetna CEO, made 24.3 million dollars last year and Aetna generated $31.6 billion dollars in revenue from 19 million customers. Enough!! It is time to put PEOPLE BEFORE PROFITS! At the conclusion of the rally an Aetna representative was presented with a list of demands that included:

* Insuring doctors rights to determine the health care of patients.
* Aetna stop denying coverage based on pre-existing medical conditions
* Stop giving incentives to employees for denying care and rejecting claims and
* Stop using consumers money to block health care reform

Other photos follow:

Photo above: Art Perry, center, represented a greedy CEO of the insurance industry who is making million while denying health care claims of million of consumers.

Photo above: 90 year ole Stella Keminski, in the wheelchair, demands a public option now!

Photo above: Amy Thompson, mother in center of photo with three children, has been denied medical care by her insurance company.

Photo above: Dorothy Strong, at the mic, and Diane Chapman from the New England Health Care Employees Union, District 1199, SEIU speak out for health care reform. They provide daily living assistance to individuals who are developmentally disabled and need 24 hours assistance.

Photo above: Members of SEIU 32BJ who attended the rally demanding a public option now!

Photo above: Members of the new organization, "Connecticut Nurses 4 Health Care Reform," attended the rally with Dr. Stephen Smith.

Photo above: Ray Elling, who has difficulty walking, summarized the sentiment of the rally with the sign "HUMAN NEED not COOPERATE GREED. We DEMAND an authentic PUBLIC OPTION!"

By Tom Connolly