'Divided We Fail' Urges Bipartisan Solutions for Health Care, Financial Security

"Divided We Fail" is the name of a national movement that AARP launched with Business Roundtable and the Service Employees International Union to engage the American people, businesses and elected officials in finding bipartisan solutions to ensure that everyone has access to quality, affordable health care and the opportunity to attain lifetime financial security. The National Federation of Independent Businesses subsequently joined the movement.

The opportunity to attain health and financial security is the foundation for future generations … the promise of America. All Americans deserve access to affordable, quality health care and peace of mind about their lifelong financial security.

For many, it's a family affair. That's why we are pleased that the American Academy of Family Physicians has added the voice of its more than 94,000 members to Divided We Fail. AARP shares AAFP's vision of transforming health care to achieve optimal health for everyone. Both organizations are proud members of the Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative, formed to promote the patient-centered medical home as an effective tool for improving health care quality for the patient and reducing costs for both the payers and the patients.

Today, many people are worried about their health and financial security. And they're concerned about the future facing their children and grandchildren. We hear about this every day. Concerned citizens are sending us their stories, like this one from Kathy O. in New York: "Last year, at the age of 42, I was diagnosed with brain cancer. I have a 6-year-old and a 1-year-old. For obvious reasons, I can no longer work, and my husband, who works full time, and I are having a difficult time taking care of our family. My health insurance only covers about two-thirds of my costs (which is not terrible), but now I am trying to figure out how to pay for a live-in nanny so she can help me take care of the kids, cook, clean and drive me to doctor appointments. One of us has to keep working, so my husband is doing all that he can do. We were doing fine before the cancer hit, but now we are floundering."

Kathy is not alone. Too many people, like Kathy and her family, are only one serious illness or health catastrophe away from financial ruin. Once, people could look to their employers, each other and their government to help them achieve financial security and the health care they needed throughout their lives. Today, much of the burden of saving for retirement, paying for health care and supporting aging parents falls on individuals.

The deal used to be that if you worked hard, paid your taxes, raised your kids and played by the rules, you would have a reasonable chance at the American dream. Now that is coming apart. If we don't act soon, the next generation will be the first in American history to be less well off than their parents. We can't let that happen.

As part of Divided We Fail, we are mobilizing for the 2008 elections. We intend to make health and financial security front and center issues in every race — especially for the presidential candidates. We're starting with the early primary and caucus states. This is the time to gain commitments and action on our most pressing domestic needs.

These are complex problems that require hard choices. And we must come together to find fair and reasonable bipartisan solutions. As the late President John Kennedy said, "Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer." After all, health and financial security are not Republican or Democratic issues — they are American issues.

All Americans have a stake in this. So, we are reaching out to a wide array of strategic partners and allies, including AAFP and others from the medical profession, the nonprofit sector, business, other advocacy groups, academia, and individual thought leaders. We are developing a network of partners (national, state and local) who will help engage the public, shape the views of the candidates and opinion leaders, and use their influence and constituencies to create a political imperative for change that is broad enough to attract widespread support. Together, we will restore peace of mind to our citizens without leaving the bills to our kids and grandkids. And we will build a 21st-century America where people of all ages can live with independence, dignity and purpose. Divided We Fail, but together we can do anything.

To take the Divided We Fail pledge and to tell your story through our "Millions of Voices for Change" campaign, go to the Divided We Fail Web site.