Here's the latest news from around the country as the battle for real health care reform continues:
* 45,000 people die every year from lack of access to health insurance. How much would it cost to cover those 45,000 every year, saving their lives? Here's a hint: It's less than the $263 million the health care industry has spent this year on lobbying.
* On Thursday, protesters-young and old alike-held sit-ins outside the offices of Humana, an insurance company that used misleading mailers to scare seniors about health care reform. In 10 cities, protesters from community groups and health reform advocacy organizations demanded that insurers like Humana stop using scare tactics to turn seniors against reform. The Alliance for Retired Americans is taking a lead role in organizing seniors to protest Humana's actions and educating them on health care.
* The insurance industry put out yet another fishy study last week that claims health care reform will increase costs. This time it's Blue Cross Blue Shield, running a selective study that highlights some provisions of health reform but ignores others. Blue Cross Blue Shield also opposes a public option-which would control costs for consumers.
* The House Ways and Means Committee is moving ahead with efforts to prepare for budget reconciliation, a legislative method, which would allow health care reform to bypass the filibuster and receive a simple majority vote in the Senate.
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