WASHINGTON - October 13 - Citizens and health care providers are participating in sit-ins at health insurance offices in nine cities across the country on Thursday to call for real reform that addresses the real cause of the health care crisis, the insurance companies. Within the past 16 days, over 700 people have signed up to risk arrest by sitting down in an insurance company office and refusing to leave, demanding the immediate approval of lifesavaing doctor-recommended treatment and an end to denial of care.

Thursday, October 15, 2009 - SCHEDULE OF SIT-INS

1) New York, NY, 10am EST, United HealthGroup / 1 Penn Plaza / 10119

Contact: Omar Kutty / omarkutty@hotmail.com / 773-576-2559

2) Washington, DC, 10am EST, Wellpoint / 655 15th St NW 

Contact: Kevin Zeese / kzeese@earthlink.net / 301-996-6582

3) Palm Beach, FL, 11:30am EST, Humana / 2056 Vista Pkwy 

Contact: Rick Ford / floridianshealth@aol.com / 561-601-9150

4) Boston, MA, 12:00p EST, Cigna Office / 2223 Washington St / 02462

Contact Ben Day / 617-723-7001 / director@masscare.org

5) Cleveland, OH, 10am Central, Medical Mutual / 2060 E 9th St / 44115 

Contact: Drew Smith / drewsmith86@gmail.com / 330-703-0556

6) Portland, OR, 10am, Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield / 100 SW Market / 97201

Contact: Chris Lowe / 503-788-2543 (preferred) 503-913-3980 / clowe@igc.org

7) Phoenix, AZ, 4-6p, United Healthcare / 2390 E. Camelback Road Suite 300 / 85016 

Contact: Dan O'Neal / 480-650-0746 / dan@pdamerica.org

8) Los Angeles, CA, 10am, Anthem Blue Cross / 801 S. Figueroa St. / 90017

Contact: Sam Pullen / samuelbpullen@hotmail.com / 760-275-7874

9) Reno, NV, 11am , United Healthcare 5190 Neil Road #420 / 89502

Contact: Lisa Stiller 775-232-2823 / 775-746-1313 / koffeenut@yahoo.com

The actions are the start of a national movement, coordinated by the group Mobilization for Health Care for All, of people who are fed up with the state of health care in this country, fed up with the state of the health care debate in this country, and are putting themselves on the line for real health care reform. Chanting messages such as "patients not profits," participants in the actions are expected to say that insurance companies that deny people the care that they need for profit are the real death panels. They will show that the legislation currently in the limelight fails to address the real problem, the insurance companies.

The mobilization was launched two weeks ago when 17 people were arrested at an Aetna office in downtown New York City (read New York Times city blog write-up). Last week, 7 were arrested at a Cigna office in downtown Chicago (see Associated Press article). (View videos of New York sit-in and Chicago sit-in on YouTube.)

"The health care bill being voted on this week is a giveaway to the insurance industry," said Kevin Zeese, executive director of Prosperity Agenda, one of the groups that launched the national mobilization. "If it were passed, tens of millions of Americans will be forced to buy overpriced insurance, which will result in hundreds of billions in new annual revenue for the insurance industry and continued deaths and suffering due to insurance abuse and denials."

National efforts are part of the Patients Not Profit campaign of the Mobilization for Health Care for All. The mobilization was launched by several national organizations. the actions are coordinated in cooperation with local groups based in each city and give people an outlet for their frustration and even outrage about insurance company abuse. The groups advocate for Medicare for All, a public single payer health care plan that expands Medicare to cover everyone.