Thursday, September 03, 2009

Some of the folks in Congress have spines


Letter to the President of the United States from the House Progressive Caucus:
We look forward to meeting with you regarding retaining a robust public option in any final health reform bill and request that that meeting take place as soon as possible.

Public opinion polls continue to show that a majority of Americans want the choice of a robust public plan and we stand in solidarity with them. We continue to support the robust public option that was reported out of the Committees on Ways and Means and Education and Labor and will not vote for a weakened bill on the House Floor or returning from a Conference with the Senate.

Any bill that does not provide, at a minimum, a public option built on the Medicare provider system and with reimbursement based on Medicare rates--not negotiated rates--is unacceptable. A plan with negotiated rates would ensure higher costs for the public plan, and would do nothing to achieve the goal of providing choice and competition to keep rates down. The public plan with set rates saves $75 billion, which could be lost if rates are negotiated with providers. Further, this public option must be available immediately and must not be contingent upon any trigger.

Mr. President, the need for reform is urgent. Every day, 14,000 Americans lose their health care coverage. We must have health care reform that will effectively bring down costs and significantly expand access. A health reform bill without a robust public option will not achieve the health reform this country so desperately needs. We cannot vote for anything less.
[Source]


Speaker Pelosi has also said this:
"A bill without a strong public option will not pass the House. Eliminating the public option would be a major victory for the insurance companies who have rationed care, increased premiums and denied coverage."
I would love to see more folks standing up for the American People instead of the insurance companies.

--the BB

3 comments:

Jane R said...

I went looking for the names, and they are here. This is the whole Congressional Progressive Caucus but the House list is there separately. Lot of my MA and CA political peeps. And of course Eleanor Holmes Norton and some fine NY people, and Tammy Baldwin from WI, and others.

Happy to see there are some Congressfolk with spines.

Fran said...

*sigh*

I may have mentioned here that I had not been to the dr. in over two years, for no good reason. Too much change, ennui, no insurance, then more ennui, some fear, procrastination...

In any case, after my SIL's health challenges this summer, I made appointments.

It took me weeks and months to get appointments (have only been to one and waiting on another), and that is after long searches to find doctor offices that would take new patients.

I just made an appointment for the dreaded but necessary colonoscopy only to hear that they cancelled my appointment because they don't take my insurance... and my insurer is not some small thing, it is United Health Care!

This whole business sucks. Nero fiddles, Rome burns and there is no hospital to treat the wounds. Just insurance companies and lame politicians.

Göran Koch-Swahne said...

Amen from here!