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WASHINGTON - Protesters chanted, "People not profits -- Medicare for all," while picketing WellPoint Insurance Company Thursday. The demonstration was part of a nine-city protest coordinated by the group "Mobilization for Health Care for All."
WellPoint locked the lobby doors and police stood on guard. The protest was peaceful but pointed -- with participants blaming the insurance companies for current problems and accusing the president of breaking his campaign promise to bring real reform.
And as Congress continues to work toward reform, the demonstrators feel their dream of a single-payer system is slipping further and further away.
"My parents both lost their jobs during the recession and paying for their health insurance is nearly impossible," said Devon, a health care protester. "We're probably going to lose our house."
Devon sat down to take a stand against an insurance company she believes operates on greed. "I'm just so so angry with these criminals that make unheard of amounts of money off of our suffering," she said.
The protesters sent a delegation into WellPoint, one of the country's biggest health care providers. They asked why the company refuses to pay for treatments that doctors recommend.
"I explained to them that I'm a physician and that physicians do not think it's right that their patients cannot get the health care that they need," said Dr. Margaret Flowers of the Physicians for National Health Program.
Despite being turned away, protesters tried to leave their mark -- using plastic bottoms to prove a point.
"In 2005, Obama said when they win back the presidency, the House and the Senate, they'd give us single-payer health care. He's changed his mind and it's time for the people to hold him accountable," said Kevin Zeese, executive director of Prosperity Agenda.
Zeese believes insurance companies like Wellpoint are the cause of problems with American health care. "The solution is Medicare for all," he said.
While Congress may be moving closer to a reform plan, the protesters do not believe the current proposals are enough.
Said Medea Benjamin, co-founder of Code Pink, "So I say to Barack Obama
(web | news | bio) , if you want us to believe in your government, then give the basic human right to your own people which is health care for all!"
After about an hour, the picket and sit-in broke up. The protesters say they didn't expect to hear a response from WellPoint Thursday -- but add just because their questions weren't answered, doesn't mean they will stop asking.
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