Friday, October 30, 2015

November's Shared Offering: CCHCC

Founded in 1977, Champaign County Health Care Consumers (CCHCC) is a grassroots citizen action organization which believes that health care is a basic human right; as such, it is dedicated to the mission of working for quality affordable health care for all. CCHCC organizes individuals and communities to have a voice in the health care system and to affect social change. CCHCC carries out its mission through consumer education, advocacy, and community organizing. Its current issue campaigns include: Access to Care for those with low income, those with significant medical debt, and those for whom English is not their primary language; Environmental Health campaigns, focusing on the Fifth and Hill toxic manufactured gas plant site as well as working to protect the Mahomet Aquifer from toxic waste being dumped at the Clinton Landfill; organizing to address harmful medical billing and collection practices by local health care institutions; and organizing the Medicare Task Force to protect, strengthen, and improve Medicare and other vital programs like Medicaid and Social Security.

In addition, CCHCC provides services directly to clients through programs like the ACA Enrollment Program, the Consumer Health Hotline (a free resource for Champaign County residents who need help navigating the health care system) that receives hundreds of calls a month, the Dental Referral Program, and the Medicare 100/Plus Discount Program (which offers eligible Medicare beneficiaries free and discounted care at area providers).

CCHCC could not sustain their current efforts without the active involvement of volunteers for many of their campaigns, as well as volunteers for the Consumer Health Hotline. Most of CCHCC’s community organizing campaigns grow out of calls to the Hotline, as affected consumers are brought together to work to create system change.

For more information about CCHCC, their numerous victories and community campaigns, as well as volunteer opportunities, check out their website at www.healthcareconsumers.org.

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