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Senate Resolution Demands Public Health Insurance Option in Reform Plan |
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A new U.S. Senate resolution demands that a public health insurance option be included in health care reform legislation now being developed behind closed doors in the Senate Finance Committee.
A public insurance plan option for workers and families who either have private insurance coverage or no coverage at all is one of the AFL-CIO’s key health care reform principles. It has been vigorously attacked by the private insurance industry and most congressional Republicans.
Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), along with 27 co-sponsors, introduced the resolution yesterday. The resolution says such a plan would allow
those Americans who have become unemployed, live in rural and other traditionally underserved areas, or have been unable to attain affordable health insurance would benefit from consumer choice.
The Senate resolution follows calls last month from four prominent House caucuses to include a public plan option in health care reform legislation. In a letter to President Obama and Senate and House leadership, the leaders of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, the Black Caucus, the Hispanic Caucus and the Asian Pacific American Caucus wrote:
Our support for enacting legislation this year to guarantee affordable health care for all firmly hinges on the inclusion of a robust public health insurance plan like Medicare.
Tell us what you think should be included in comprehensive health care reform. Take the 2009 Health Care for America Survey. The survey gives you the opportunity to make your voice heard and help shape health care reform to meet the needs of working families.
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Does Senator Baucus know this? Do other dems in the Senate feel this way especially Senator’s Baucus and his Bannana Republic committee?
I watched live as supporters of single payer healthcare were led from the senate more than once. Why? They “disrupted” the place by asking that single payer healthcare options be heard.
Not only did the senate reject these folks, but so did the Obama health summit folks. Both seem rather to “switch than fight” (sorry cig ads of the 50s) on the healthcare issues.
Public option? Pass HR676 now. Otherwise, allowing the insurance company thieves and murders access to a revised healthcare for the nation would be counter-productive. Folks that say no to allow folks die for a few bucks are most certainly not the folks I wish to be running any portion of the show for it is not the doctor that calls the shots on healthcare; it is the insurance folks, HMOs and pharm companies whose murderous disreguard for the public is well documented.
garyro1 : I agree with you 100%!!
Over 500 unions have endorsed 676, Baucus has ignored public opinion. Guess who is in bed with the health care industry?
Many of us are indeed a little sick of folks playing political games to protect their “campaign contribution” sugardaddies (or sugarmoms). True Democrat, many more folks than labor working folks have endorsed single payer option and they are being ignored by our fearless towers of jello in congress.
Baucus has indeed ignored the American people in this case. Dems need to take care if they wish to preserve their majorities
This public hearlth thing-am-a-jig is the achievement of self-described practical folks who live in the practical world. It is the world that is occupied solely by those who have no real principles.
It is a place for saps–a place that corporate America laughs at
as they fight for their principles-at our expense. (Imagine, corporations actually get us morons to support them while our leadership and they make our legitimate demands look childish.)
Keep smiling
Is their a list of the senators who are backing a public health care option? I was told by one of my senator’s office staff that my senator thought S 703 and HR 676 were not feasible. He is a so-called Democrat!!
And I was told by mine that a “single-payer” is not what is probably coming out of the senate. It would be a multi-payer I was told and she signed this resolution with Kennedy. Claire seems conflicted on healthcare.
When we “won” the election last November, I certainly thought that effective healthcare reform was possible. I also though a good chance on passage of Employee Free Choice Act and some semblance of “fair trade policy” as opposed to unfettered “free trade”.
Was I ever mistaken. Seems our woes today as much with the democrats as with the GOP. Seems corporate America and international cartels/trusts do indeed rule the land even today
Altho Senator Brown is one of my senators, I believe he’s “selling out” on this one. He knows (or should know, coming from Ohio) that we have over 10% unemployment in OHio and that many, many of his constituents can’t afford to buy health insurance at any price being discussed. We NEED single-payer, or we need FREE health insurance. Public option is no option at all if you can’t afford it.
The Single Payer option is the best plan for everybody.
Scrap the old outdated Insurance system and support “HR676, Medicare for all”, The single payer plan.
I call on the AFL-CIO to survey members on their feelings and support for Single Payer Healthcare.
Single payer was conspicuously absent from the current AFL-CIO Healthcare Poll.