The Problem:  Health care costs are too high.  America is facing a terrible crisis in health care. Insurance costs are rising so swiftly that more and more working Americans cannot afford to purchase health insurance.  Because of that, these Americans are putting off much needed care and doctor’s visits, which in turn costs more to the nation as they wait until there is an emergency to get treatment.   

Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) are refusing to cover many needed diagnostic tests and refusing to pay for needed treatments if they are too costly, or deemed experimental.  This also costs our nation tremendously in higher health costs for everyone.   

Prescription drug costs are skyrocketing, forcing many to forego needed medicines, or to dilute them in the hopes of making prescriptions last longer.  This, too, costs our nation.   

While many workers receive annual pay increases, often those raises simply support increased health care costs, while the family falls further behind the financial eight ball.   

Proposal: In hospitals, a “Code Blue” is noted when there is an emergency situation that may result in loss of life if not dealt with immediately.  We believe our national health care system is in a state of crisis.  To call attention to that national emergency, we are asking that “we the people” of America begin wearing “Code Blue” buttons on our lapels.  This is a call for: (1) public awareness of the issue, (2) increased legislator awareness of the need for health care cost reform, and (3) help in repairing our unhealthy health care system.   

These buttons accuse no single group of being totally responsible for the problem. They do show solidarity for the need to repair the broken system. 

With millions of Americans without any health insurance, even many full time working Americans, and with health care costs escalating each year, there exists in the nation a crisis.  Therefore, we ask for your support in noting that such a crisis exists, and that our legislators MUST intervene to provide a solution to the need for greater health care coverage for our people. 

Our politicians are talking about how to pay for health care at its high cost.  The challenge is to be able to reduce the cost of health care delivery.   

Our goal is to have 58,000,000 code blue buttons worn on the lapels of 58,000,000 Americans.  That is the number of votes that were cast to elect President George W. Bush.  With 48,000,000 Americans without health care coverage in 2004, by the presidential election year of 2008 there may well be 58,000,000 Americans without health care coverage.  Therefore, we believe that 58,000,000 Americans wearing code blue buttons will be a mandate to reduced health care costs. 

Background: This protest is historically based on what happened in Norway during WWII. Many citizens were unhappy with what was happening with the Nazis take over of their country. They voiced their discontent by wearing red patches, and knitting red hats & scarves for their children. It became a silent protest of governmental policy without singling any one person or group out for blame.  They wore red, and created one of the most effective anti-Nazi protests in Europe.  (This story is documented in Folklore Fights the Nazis, by Kathleen Stokker, University of Wisconsin Press.) We are asking you to wear “Code Blue” buttons to support the need for health care reform. 

 Code Blue is a proposal that is intended to be a non-partisan, person-to-person, group-to-group, organization-to-organization, spontaneous response to a crisis in our nation.  It had its inception from conversations at First Presbyterian Church of Rochester, Indiana, and was developed through the Peace Committee of the Presbytery of Wabash Valley and has received the approval and blessing of the Presbytery of Wabash Valley for networking wherever possible.  

For more information contact:

Reverend Ben Whitfield
530 Jefferson St.
Rochester, IN  46975
574-223-5919
codeblue_1@hotmail.com

We buy our buttons from RibonsAwards company.  Their number is (800) 957-1990 with an e-mail address of ribbonawards@tbscc.com.  Ask for J. J.  We have asked them to let others use our set up so that no set up fee will be required.  The cost for buttons depends on the number that you buy.  If you buy a hundred or so the price is about a dollar each.  When you buy in the thousands the cost drops to 25 cents each or less.