It was two steps forward and one step back on health care reform yesterday.
That’s why we need you to make a critical phone call to Congressman Patrick Murphy this morning to ask him to reaffirm his support for a public health insurance option in the health care reform legislation being drafted in Congress? You can call toll free at 1-888-436-8427.
Yesterday, in a letter to Senators Kennedy and Baucus President Obama reaffirmed his support for giving all Americans “the choice of a public health insurance option operating alongside private plans.” “This will give them,” he wrote, “a better range of choices, make the health care market more competitive, and keep insurance companies honest.”
But the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of 51 House Democrats that includes Representative Murphy, said yesterday that the public health insurance plan should only come into effect if it is “triggered” by a failure of private insurers to “rein in costs and offer affordable coverage to everyone.”
Private insurance has already failed to meet this test. Two weeks ago, HCAN criticized Independence Blue Cross for seeking to raise premiums for non-group insurance up to 52%. And yesterday we released a report that shows why premiums are going up so fast, because the health insurance market in most regions in Pennsylvania and in most other states is overwhelmingly dominated by one company.
Many people here worked hard for Rep. Murphy. So, please call him today at 1-888-436-8427. Ask him to exclude the trigger from the Blue Dog health care reform principles. Tell him that we need a public health insurance plan now
• to make sure that everyone has health insurance they can count on even if they change jobs
• to compete with private insurance to hold down costs.
Tell him that as a fiscal conservative, he should support the competition a public health insurance plan will provide.
Tell him that this is the only way we can provide quality health care for all at a cost affordable both to families and taxpayers.
Call today at 888-436-8427.
With your support, in 2009 we will finally realize our dream of providing a guarantee of quality affordable health care to all.