Who We Are
The Coalition to Protect America’s Health Care informs the public through television, radio and print advertising about the important role hospitals play in the lives of all Americans.
WHAT IS THE MISSION STATEMENT OF THE COALITION TO PROTECT AMERICA’S HEALTH CARE?
The Coalition is an organization of hospitals, national, state, regional and metropolitan hospital associations united with the business community to achieve one goal: to protect high quality patient care by creating media strategies to preserve the financial viability of America’s hospitals.
WHY IS THE COALITION UNIQUE?
The Coalition has one mission…to mount massive advertising campaigns on a sustaining basis on behalf of the entire hospital field – efforts that are unprecedented in their scope and inclusiveness. In addition to thousands of individual hospitals and health systems, Coalition members include every major national hospital association as well as each state, regional and metropolitan hospital association. Coalition ads are triggered solely by threats to the stability and well-being of hospitals.
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP?
To do its job, the Coalition to Protect America’s Health Care relies on financial support from hospitals, associations and businesses. These voluntary contributions are used solely to support the research, development and placement of advertising supporting hospitals’ advocacy agenda. Not one cent is spent on salaries... Coalition staff and virtually all overhead are donated in-kind by Coalition partners. Therefore, every single penny is devoted to the Coalition’s advertising mission.
WHY CAN'T THE DUES HOSPITALS PAY TO VARIOUS HOSPITAL ASSOCIATIONS SUPPORT THESE EFFORTS?
Developing and placing national radio, television and print advertising is extremely expensive, especially over a sustained period of time. This cost is far more than any single association can underwrite and still provide the full range of advocacy services that their members expect. Coalition advertising complements and supports the regular advocacy activities, including one-on-one lobbying and building grassroots, that associations use every day. In addition, the Coalition is an excellent example of the hospital and business communities’ willingness to harness their collective resources, and, by doing so, accomplish far more than if working alone.
WHEN WAS THE COALITION FOUNDED?
The Coalition was founded in 2000 and immediately mounted a national advertising campaign to help all Americans understand the threat that the Balanced Budget Act posed to patient care. Coalition advertising on national cable, on major radio stations and in publications warned that financial hardship caused by the Balanced Budget Act could jeopardize the health care services that patients need. As Claire Panke, the Coalition’s nurse-spokesperson, said in the very first Coalition television ad, “…the hospital cuts continue and it hurts my patients’ care.”
ADS REFLECT REAL-LIFE SITUATIONS
Coalition ads are built around carefully-selected images and words that relate to viewers personal lives. At recent TV ad told the story of an ailing elderly gentleman whose daughter and caregiver, herself in her 50s, worried about what would happen to her father if Medicare for hospital care were cut.
EFFECTIVENESS OF AD TOUTED BY EXPERT
In evaluating the effectiveness of that ad, Coalition pollster Bill McInturff of Public Opinion Strategies, said, “The ad is among the strongest ads we have tested…” with the scores putting the ad “in the highest ranks of public policy advertising we have tested.” Consumers who evaluated the ad found it believable, relevant, urgent and memorable and said they would call Congress to voice their concerns about cuts to hospital care. A special YouTube ad placement alone attracted more than a half-million views.
WHAT IS THE COALITION’S AGENDA?
With the growing federal budget deficit, and with history as our guide, we continue to see pressure for Medicare and Medicaid cuts. As you can see, our work is cut out for us.
Fighting cuts in payment will not be enough. Coalition ads must help make the case that hospitals need payment improvements to meet the challenges of their expanding missions, whether homeland security and the threat of biological attacks or the menace to public health by epidemics. As the battle lines are drawn, the Coalition’s ads will complement and support the lobbying and grassroots activities.
Call (877) 422-2349 or visit www.protecthealthcare.org for more information. Join the Coalition today!
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