Health Care for All Oregon’s Eugene chapter will be joining others from 62 statewide organizations Monday, Feb. 4, for a kick-off rally for universal health care in Salem on the first day of the 2013 legislative session.

Chartered buses from Eugene are being planned for the rally. See hcao.org, email patbitner@gmail.com or call 484-6145 or 485-3971. Cost of the bus ride to Salem and back is expected to be $10 and space is limited. Participants are asked to wear red shirts and bring lunches. The buses will leave Eugene at 8:30 am. Salem activities will begin at 9:30 am with signing in at Room 50 at the Capitol building, followed by a march and rally until about 11:30 am. Lobbying lawmakers will continue during the afternoon and at 3 pm there will be a closing meeting and debriefing. Buses will return to Eugene late afternoon.

The rally is in support of Rep. Michael Dembrow’s proposed Affordable Health Care for All Oregon Act.

“Are you satisfied with your [health care] plan for 2014?” asks Marc Shapiro, Lane County chairman of HCAO, in an email message to supporters. “We pay more than twice as much as any other country, live fewer years and rank 37th for medical care outcomes. If this isn’t what you want for health care in Oregon, do join our rally.”

Next local HCAO meeting is 7 pm Thursday, Feb. 21, at EWEB. Those who can’t join the rally but want to be heard can call their legislators through the Capitol switchboard at (503) 986-1848.