Cover the Uninsured Week 2008 Results Report

Highlights:

• Nearly 1,500 events took place in 44 states and Washington, D.C.
• More than 800 events provided enrollment opportunities for eligible families
• More than 2.3 million promotional items were ordered for use at Cover the Uninsured Week events
• More than 200 national organizations supported the campaign

Cover the Uninsured Week, entering its 7th year in 2009, is the nation's largest campaign to draw attention to the plight of America's uninsured. This campaign is a national effort to highlight the fact that too many Americans are living without health insurance and to demand solutions from our nation's leaders. Through Cover the Uninsured, we are working to build and sustain broad-based support for change.

Cover the Uninsured Week has grown from a week of grassroots events that brought attention to the issue of the uninsured to a movement recognized by national organizations, elected officials, community leaders and health care advocates as the largest mobilization around the issue of the uninsured. With healthcare now ranked as one of the top three issues for voters, there has never been a better time to demand real reform from our national leaders on the issue of the uninsured.

Cover the Uninsured Week 2008, which took place April 27-May 3, featured thousands of events designed to raise awareness and build support among opinion-makers, policy-makers, grassroots advocates, faith leaders, the business community and active citizens. Thousands of individuals and organizations in their communities held health and enrollment fairs, participated in campus-based outreach programs, hosted community forums on health care reform and engaged local media to gain press coverage of the Week through press conferences, opinion editorials, and letters to the editor.

The effort benefited from the support of more than 200 National Supporters and 18 National Partners who helped to reach the uninsured nationwide, and community organizers, volunteers and supporting organizations helped to promote the importance of getting America's uninsured quality and affordable health care coverage. Many built Cover the Uninsured Week into their organization's calendars, timing their own coverage activities to take place during The Week.

While many activities took place during Cover the Uninsured Week 2008, the Cover the Uninsured effort continues year-round to assist activists across the country working to demonstrate broad support for getting uninsured Americans the health coverage they need.