Millions of Voices for Change
Millions of Americans are faced with difficult decisions concerning their health care and financial security every day. Here are just two stories we´ve heard recently.

‘Will Social Security Be There?´
"My mother is receiving Social Security and is lucky enough to have been able to put money into retirement funds while she was working. However, I am of a different generation. I live paycheck to paycheck and am only able to save a minimal amount out of each check. My sister has absolutely no savings and has just turned 50.

It is very scary to think about what will happen to us when we reach retirement age. Will there even be any Social Security there for us? And there is no question that if it is, it will not be nearly enough to support us. This is money that we have paid in all of our lives, and for the government not to be able to produce those funds for us, it is nothing short of theft."

Rebecca H.
Milano, TX

Laid-off and Struggling with Health Coverage
"I am 52 and worked hard all my life. Recently laid off, I am finding it difficult to find a job similar to what I've had, and it's not from lack of trying. Health care benefits are becoming more rare and single coverage cost is astronomical. Plus in last few months I've had many health issues after total wellness my entire life. I can't afford doctors, co-pays, deductibles, Rx's, so I go without. This is wrong. I don't know the answers, but do know many others in same situation. This issue needs to be addressed by/for all."

Debra R.
Longmont, CO

Are you concerned about the cost of health care? Or worried about financial security in your retirement? We´d like to encourage you, your friends, family members, neighbors and coworkers to visit www.dividedwefail.org/share to share how these issues are impacting you and your families.

Learn More About the Issues

Thursday´s Republican Candidate Debate Changes Format
The Presidential Candidate Debate on health and financial security issues set for Thursday, October 25th in Sioux City, Iowa will go on, but not as originally planned.

The lack of participation by a majority of the Republican Presidential Candidates who met forum guidelines has forced a change in the format from more of a debate-style with all candidates on stage to a town hall-style with Senator John McCain and former Governor Mike Huckabee. This new format allows Sen. McCain and Gov. Huckabee to individually discuss the issues of health and financial security with Iowa caucus-goers for a total of 35 minutes. The format will include opening remarks, questions from moderator Dean Borg of IPTV, Sioux City Journal readers and those selected in the audience.

While the forum will no longer be aired on PBS, it will be webcast on the Internet. You can watch the live webcast of the forum by going to www.dividedwefail.org/forums on Thursday at 7 p.m. Central Time.

Destination Wellness
Staying healthy and independent is a lifelong job. And with more of us living longer, life itself has definitely become a marathon. Yet few Americans of any age get enough exercise. We eat too much and too many high-fat, highly processed foods and drinks. And obesity is becoming a major killer. When we look at the numbers, it´s clear that our bad habits are making us sick and are tiring medical resources:

• More than half of all people 50+ have diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, or some other chronic condition.
• 65 percent of Americans are overweight or obese. Obesity is associated with significantly increased risk of adult-onset diabetes, hypertension, certain forms of cancer and osteoarthritis.
• Diabetes is on the rise, with an estimated 14.6 million Americans already diagnosed and another 6.2 million unaware they have the disease. The American Diabetes Association puts the financial toll of diabetes at $132 billion annually.

While not a lot can be done about the health effects of things like genetics and accidents, we can affect the majority of health outcomes by taking responsibility for our own health. Nancy E.´s journey toward wellness started on a cruise, where she said “bon voyage’ to years of overeating and too little exercise. More  

Share Your Thoughts
We'd like to hear from you - tell us how you´re improving your life through wellness. Do you exercise regularly or eat healthy meals? Share your story and inspire others.

Doing Well by Wellness
While policymakers continue to debate about how to cure our ailing health care system, U.S. businesses – the largest source of health insurance coverage for nonelderly Americans – are taking the lead by implementing comprehensive health strategies that emphasize wellness and address health risks, not just disease.

Changing behavior starts with changing the culture that supports it, as evidenced by a recent study of Business Roundtable members - 160 CEOs whose companies provide health care for more than 35 million Americans. The results revealed that companies are exploring more effective ways to communicate with their employees around benefits and wellness and making wellness opportunities accessible across the employee population. In short, they´re creating a culture of wellness at work. More

Taking a Stand in Your Communities

Divided We Fail Town Tour Crosses Granite State
New Hampshire's Divided We Fail Town Tour team might have worried that their van would go into the creek driving over a tiny bridge that wasn't much more than two planks of wood, each just a tire track wide. But that is what it takes to get to the Berlin Kiwanis Bocce Stadium and Clubhouse, where the team was invited for dinner to talk with local business owners and community leaders

So began the Town Tour, which visited more than 28 New Hampshire towns in two months. As the van cruised across the state, the Town Tour generated local media coverage and built relationships with people concerned about affordable, quality health care and long-term financial security.

Divided We Fail. Together We Can Do Anything.
 
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