Editor's Note: Edie Falco is an Emmy Award-winning actress best known for her character "Carmela Soprano” in the groundbreaking HBO series "The Sopranos." She is now starring in the new series "Nurse Jackie" that premiered on Showtime in early June 2009.
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/06/25/edie.falco.getty.art.jpg caption="Actress Edie Falco arrives at the 59th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards September 16, 2007 in Los Angeles, California."]
By Edie Falco
Special to CNN
Health care is something that affects everyone in America, and I am glad that we are having a national conversation about it. I am supporting Health Care for America Now because we are at a moment in time when we can actually make change that impacts peoples’ lives in a very real way.
We have got to fix health care, and we have got to do it right now. Health care reform cannot wait.
As a struggling artist, I spent many years without health coverage. I know the feeling of hoping your symptoms go away before you have to get money together to see a doctor. I know worrying about it makes it even harder to get better. I still have friends and family in this position.
It’s true, I have health care now. I have good doctors and I'm treated very well, and I can’t tell you how grateful I am for this. But I believe no one person is any more worthy of such treatment than any other person who may be sitting at home right now worried about their own health or the health of a loved one, knowing they don't have the money to take care of it. With all of the wealth and ingenuity in our country, I know we can do better. We can fix this.
I am here in Washington, DC with Health Care for America Now today because together we are going to let Congress know that we will not wait another moment to fix our broken health care system. We have a plan that makes health care affordable to individuals, families, and businesses. If you have insurance that works for you, you can keep it. You will also have a guaranteed backup plan. It's quality, affordable health care no matter what. It’s the peace of mind that people have been looking for. It’s also the plan that President Obama is fighting for.
During my time here, I am meeting with people all around the country who are affected by our current health care mess. They will tell their stories at our rally today and they will be meeting with their members of Congress. I hope that I can help make sure that their voices are heard. We are all fighting for them and for the hundreds of thousands of people in America who need a guarantee of quality, affordable health care we all can count on.
My hope is that Congress will hear our message loud and clear: Health care can’t wait!
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Edie Falco.