Three years after influential hip-hop MC and producer J Dilla's death, DC is still rightfully paying homage to the accomplished producer and MC who brought us everything from Common's "The Light" to the Pharcyde's "Runnin'?" and Janet Jackson's "Got 'Til It's Gone."

Last week, SEIU co-sponsored the 4th Annual J Dilla Tribute & Fundraiser show at DC's Liv Niteclub to celebrate influential hip-hop MC and producer J Dilla's legacy and raise awareness about the medical condition that cut his life short. During the last two years of struggle against the increasingly-debilitating autoimmune disease Lupus, Dilla's inadequate health coverage coverage ran out, leaving his family with mounting bills totaling over one million dollars they are still struggling to pay off.

A large, energetic crowd turned out to honor the beloved producer, packing U Street's Liv from wall-to-wall. Local emcees performed their best renditions of Dilla classics, accompanied by a live band and exception singing talent Allison Carney. All in all, it was an amazing event celebrating the life, the man and his transcendent music, which had such a profound effect on so many people.

Watch highlights from the event, which included appearances from Malik Taylor (aka Phife Dawg) from A Tribe Called Quest, Grap Luva (producer Pete Rock's brother) and special guests Dilla's mother Maureen "Ma Dukes" Yancey and Dilla's brother Illa J.

More pics from the amazing night for an amazing cause here.

Earlier in the day, SEIU held a "Healthcare Remix" roundtable with participants from healthcare, hip-hop (including Phife + Ms. Yancey) and progressive communities to discuss how urban communities can become more involved in the fight to reform our broken healthcare system. As panelist and Hip Hop Caucus CEO Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr. said, "Don't think we can create change with just a mix tape."

Today, leaders in the House of Representatives released their comprehensive plan for reforming health care--putting us within arm's reach of quality, affordable health care for every American. Now it's your turn: Do your part to stand up for quality care for all.

This Wednesday, SEIU is hosting a discussion at our headquarters on how health care reform can prevent the kind of financial stress and hardship J Dilla's loved ones--the Yancey family--has endured due to the high cost of medical treatment.

WHO: Mr. Malik "Phife Dawg" Taylor, member of A Tribe Called Quest & Diabetes patient; Ms. Maureen "Ma Dukes" Yancey, J Dilla's mother; Dr. L Toni Lewis, President of Committee of Interns & Residents/SEIU; Reverend Lennox Yearwood, Hip Hop Caucus; Casey-Rae Hunter, Future of Music Coalition

WHAT: Roundtable discussion about health care reform and its implications for individuals in the arts and beyond.

WHERE: SEIU International Headquarters
1800 Massachusetts Ave
Washington, DC 20036

WHEN: Wednesday, July 8th 1 - 2 PM

If you're interested in attending, please contact healthcareremix@gmail.com

Presented by SEIU, LFAGW & Hedrush Entertainment, the 4th Annual J Dilla Tribute & Fundraiser will take place that same night at Liv Niteclub in Washington, DC at 9pm. This is a free event, but donations are encouraged. To RSVP, visit http://dilladc09.eventbrite.com/.

Sitting among the insurance executives, business leaders, and Washington lobbyists in the audience of yesterday's roundtable on health care reform were a handful of frontline caregivers from SEIU. They came from across the country to be on Capitol Hill yesterday, and they served as a powerful reminder of the people the debate over health care reform is really about - patients and their caregivers.

Two SEIU Healthcare leaders - Dr. L. Toni Lewis, MD and Cathy Stoddart, RN - took notes on their time in Washington and offered to share their perspective as caregivers. For Dr. Lewis, the importance of yesterday's hearing set in before she even arrived on Capitol Hill:

On the way to the Senate, we were talking about health care reform - sharing our thoughts on how we KNOW it's happening this year because so many people are so committed to it. Our cab driver, Germaine, asks if he can share his story. He tells us that he is 64, works more than 12 hours a day and still can't afford health care - Germaine has diabetes, and the cost of his supplies, medications and follow up are overwhelming. Mind you, Germaine is not upset - he understands hard work and appreciates that - he is glad to tell us his story. Germaine believes that we are getting ready to get this done - so he gives us an encouraging smile as we leave the cab and enter the Senate building.

In the hearing, Cathy Stoddart was encouraged by many of the senators' serious commitment to fixing health care:

Senator Menendez rocks! He did not mince words, which I think the American public are tired of. He asked straightforward questions and focused on the fact that the time is now - and that no one assembled was against reforming health care.

Senator Schumer was right on, too. He talked about the playing field for a public health insurance option vs. present private insurance plans. He talked about the lack of trust Americans have in private insurance companies and how they have been the gatekeepers of access to care; they are, in essence, rationing care for my low and middle income patients.

The discussion left Dr. Lewis excited that we're finally talking about true health care and not the "sick care" that our current system promotes:

I loved the fact that there was a discussion not only on coverage, but also on oral health, home care, end of life care, prevention and wellness, and primary care. We're actually talking about comprehensive coverage!

Both Toni and Cathy agreed that the people who need to be leading the movement to fix health care aren't the ones in Washington - it's the caregivers at the bedside. Cathy summed it up well:

There is something about returning someone to health so that they, too, can contribute to a better society. It feels good; it's a legacy to be proud of. It is what people deserve and it is why I become a nurse. We have a big role to play in this movement. We've all got to put our hand in and steer it in the right direction.

SEIU President Andy Stern was on Capitol Hill yesterday to testify in the second of a series of three roundtables on health care reform. The roundtables, convened by Senate Finance Committee chair Max Baucus, are the last official opportunities to provide input on health care reform before a final piece of legislation is drafted next month.

In addition to the statistics and numbers we've heard over and over again, Stern's testimony was built on the stories of everyday Americans affected by the health care crisis - many of which were submitted by SEIU members online. One of those Americans is Pat DeJong, an SEIU home care aide in Libby, MT:

Pat and her husband Dan were ranchers, but had a hard time finding affordable coverage, and were uninsured when he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2000. The medical bills piled up for Pat and Dan, eventually forcing them to sell the land they loved and that had been in Dan's family for generations. Dan succumbed to cancer, and Pat remains uninsured. We can and must do better for hardworking families such as the DeJongs.

There's a simple standard that SEIU uses to measure the success of the health care system: how does it work for our members - for Pat and her family? By that standard, without a doubt, our current system is failing. Miserably.

It is that same bar, Stern explained, that we've used to layout our vision for what health care should be. Here's what it will take to make health care work for Pat, our members, and all Americans:

1. Build on what works - but also build new alternatives for a changing economy.
About 160 million Americans get their coverage through their employer and, for many of them, it's a system that works well. But, for many others - especially small businesses, students, and retirees - employer-provided insurance isn't an affordable option. We need a public health insurance option that lowers costs across the board and gives everyone a path to affordable care.

2. Share responsibility for financing health care and promoting good health.
Employers, individuals, and government must all do their part to make sure we have a sustainable and affordable health care system that works for everyone. That included protections and tax credits for small businesses to help them remain competitive.

3. Establish a national standard for meaningful coverage.
Too many Americans find out the hard way that the real limits of their health coverage are buried in the fine print. Exemptions for chronic illnesses or catastrophic circumstances leave them without care when they need it most. Establishing a national standard of meaningful coverage would mean that every American would have the confidence of knowing their insurance affords them their right to adequate care.

4. Long-term services and supports must be covered for those who need them.
The safety net we provide to America's aging and disabled population is weak and full of holes. The very men and women whose hard work and ingenuity built this country deserve meaningful care in the twilight of life. Providing access to affordable care upfront will not only better serve our aging population, it will also save us money in the long run.

It's easy to get lost in the weeds when we start looking at facts and figures and budget outlays. Our health care system is huge, with lots of moving parts. Stern's testimony was an important reminder to step back and think about Pat - and all the real people whose everyday lives depend on what sort of future we write for health care.

Today, SEIU President Andy Stern joined with a panel of health care advocates, insurance industry reps and other stakeholders at Sen. Baucus' second roundtable on health reform--the topic, reforming health care coverage.

During the hearing, Sen. Chuck Schumer, who's been tasked with leading the Committee's work on a public health insurance plan, played a dramatic counterweight to insurance industry representatives. (And this comes on the heels of an agreement by insurance companies to stop charging women higher premiums than men. Wonder if they're considering paying back women customers for the difference all these years?)

Schumer essentially dismantled arguments against the public health insurance plan, challenging folks squarely on the issue of transparency and competition. Ezra Klein sums up Schumer's points nicely:

Schumer went on to argue that opposition to the public plan is predicated on a high-functioning insurance market that doesn't now, and hasn't ever, existed. Private insurers, Schumer exclaimed, can't even tell you what a given treatment costs. They won't release their data on either quality or prices. This is not an elegant market that should be protected from further competitive pressures. This is a mess in desperate need of new players with new incentives. "To not have a public plan and let it compete the way [Senator Baucus] outlines in his white paper is, in my view, closeminded," said Schumer. Then he paused, and smiled, looking out over a crowd think with industry representatives. "In my view," he continued, "it may even be a little self-interested."

Schumer went on, "The bottom line is you need somebody who is not a private insurance company to be in the mix and there are many of us who feel very strongly about that... It would be giving all of you in the insurance industry an unfair advantage not to have a public plan."

SEIU President Andy Stern hammered home the fact that--despite insurance industry claims--consumers do not currently enjoy choice and competition. Stern spoke about the lack of "choice" for workers in Maine and New Hampshire, for example, who have higher costs than public workers in other states, but similar coverage.

From Andy's Twitter feed: "Senator Schumer aggressively fights for public plan. Go Chuck! Discussion on employer responsibility [sic] missing."

(And as President Stern alluded to in his tweet, stay tuned for SEIU's continuing work on shared employer responsibility. )

When I think about what's wrong with health care, I think of Jacqueline.

It's one thing to talk about our broken health care system, but Jacqueline lives it every day. For 19 years, she's worked as a nursing home CNA in Wisconsin. Short staffing in her unit means skipped treatments and longer waits for her patients. And a lack of equipment and supplies puts the strain on the entire facility when things get busy.

Unbelievably, while Jacqueline spends her life providing care for her patients, she can't afford it for herself or her family. The coverage her employer offers costs too much on her salary.

This has to stop. Congress needs to hear how this crisis is affecting real people. Share your story: http://action.seiu.org/page/s/memberstories

Next week, I'm going to Capitol Hill for a Senate roundtable on fixing health care. It's one of three roundtables that Senator Max Baucus is holding to hammer out the final details of a health reform bill.

I cannot overstate how important these roundtables are for the future of health care. Senator Baucus plans to use the input he gets from these hearings to craft a health reform bill next month.

I've been given the honor of speaking at next week's roundtable and I want to use your voice to tell the real story of this health care crisis. Will you take a moment to share your health care story? http://action.seiu.org/page/s/memberstories

We've been given an invitation to literally write the future of health care in America. Let's use our voice to turn the page on this crisis and fix health care once and for all.