October 6, 2009 (Philadelphia) – Health Care for America Now! and its coalition of labor and progressives groups across Pennsylvania held a "Crime Scene" action today outside CIGNA headquarters in Philadelphia. The action drew more than 100 supporters and featured a nonviolent blockade of the insurance giant’s doorways. This action resulted in five arrests.

The action began at 11:30 AM at 16th & Chestnut Streets in downtown Philadelphia to enthusiastic chants of "CIGNA, Shame! Health care NOW!" from the 100 witnesses there. After several minutes, HCAN PA Director Marc Stier introduced the four people who were prepared to join him in blocking the doorways to CIGNA’s offices. Stier explained the rationale for escalating the campaign against the insurance industry. Each of these four spoke briefly, about why they were taking this step and shared personal stories about how their families have been affected by insurance company denial and greed. Stacie Ritter, whose twin daughters were denied vital care by CIGNA, also spoke.

Following the speeches, the four people participating in the blockade walked over and sat down in front of the two revolving doors that lead into CIGNA’s wing of a high-rise office building at 1601 Chestnut Street. The rest of the crowd of supporters cheered them on, continuing to chant, as police gave them four separate orders to disperse or risk arrest. Arrests began at 12:15. As the last of the protesters were loaded into the police vehicles, the crowd started chanting, "We’ll be back, we’ll be back!!"

Those arrested are:
Marc Stier (PA Director HCAN of Philadelphia),
Joan Kosloff (retired, Philadelphia resident; her son died as a result of insurance denial),
Dennis Short (SEIU),
Michael Ladson (Radnor, PA resident),
Raymond Torres (member, First United Methodist Church, Germantown, PA)
They were taken to the 9th District Police Station at 21st St & Pennsylvania Avenue, where they are being charged with "failure to disperse" and "conspiracy", both misdemeanors. It is expected that they will be processed and released some time after 10:00 PM tonight.
(Photos of Marc Stier and Joan Kosloff as they are arrested outside CIGNA HQ, 10/6/09: http://www.flickr.com/photos/43303820@N06/?d )

Stacie Ritter, of Manheim, PA, a MoveOn member in Lancaster, took part in this action and spoke of her family’s struggles. She chose not to be arrested, however, fearing its impact on her family and pending CIGNA actions. She is the mother of twins whose daily post-leukemia-treatment coverage caused her family’s bankruptcy. CIGNA has denied her twins’ needed coverage for medication and treatment, despite six years of medical monitoring and tests, and peer-to-peer reviews submitted to CIGNA as proof of need by the twins’ team of endocrinologists and oncologists at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Some CIGNA employees came outside to watch the action, identified by the corporate ID tags hung around their necks, as lunchtime crowds and noonday traffic inched around the rally. All had to navigate around the police lines set up around the perimeter of CIGNA’s front doors.

Ms. Ritter tried to engage them a few CIGNA employees in conversation, but she was rebuffed with laughter. She shouted at them, calling them "Cowards!" She cried at points, saying in part that she was "stunned that anyone would be arrested for asking for help." She continued, "Are we not asking the right questions? Do they (CIGNA) simply not hear us? Are we invisible?" Last week, Ms. Ritter tried to visit CIGNA CEO Edward Hanway at his home in Media, PA. No one answered her knock. She left him a hand-written note explaining her visit.

Media coverage of this act of civil disobedience about health care reform and insurance denials included Philadelphia Inquirer, the Metro, KYW 1060 Newsradio, and Fox 29 News, among others.
-30-