General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsSenators Introduce Resolution Calling for Health Care Public Option
Thursday, September 15, 2016
WASHINGTON, Sept. 15 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), along with Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and 22 of their colleagues, introduced a Senate resolution Thursday calling for a public option in the health insurance market.
[font color="navy"]The Affordable Care Act has made great progress in helping millions of people get access to health insurance. But at a time when 29 million people are still uninsured and 31 million are underinsured, we must continue to make needed health care reforms so that the American people can have health care as a right, not a privilege. Insurance companies have shown they are more concerned with serving their shareholders than their customers. Every American deserves the choice of a public option in health insurance, said Sanders.[/font]
The Affordable Care Act has already expanded health coverage to millions who were previously uninsured and given countless Americans greater peace of mind. We should build on this success by driving competition and holding insurance companies accountable with a public, Medicare-like option available to every American, said Merkley.
Rather than refighting old political battles and trying to put insurance companies back in charge, Republicans should join Democrats in expanding choice for consumers by supporting a public health insurance option. We need more competition in the insurance markets, not less, and this plan would help reduce costs and provide consumers with more affordable options when it comes to their health insurance, said Schumer.
The passage of the Affordable Care Act was an important step toward making health care more affordable and accessible, but it shouldn't be the last step we take. I believe that there should be a public option in our insurance marketplaces to help reduce premiums, compete with the insurance companies so that consumers are put first and give working families across the country more affordable choices, said Murray.
Ensuring that everybody in America has access to quality affordable health care is something that generations of leaders have worked toward. The Affordable Care Act was a massive step toward that goal, but its critical that we continue to push until we achieve it. A public option would get us there by increasing competition and accountability in the health insurance market and saving taxpayers billions of dollars, said Durbin.
Specifically, the resolution states support for efforts to build on the Affordable Care Act by ensuring that, in addition to the coverage options provided by private insurers, every American has access to a public health insurance option which, when established, will strengthen competition, improve affordability for families by reducing premiums and increasing choices and save American taxpayers billions of dollars.
In addition to Sanders, Merkley, Schumer, Murray and Durbin, the resolution is cosponsored by Sens. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii).
http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senators-introduce-resolution-calling-for-health-care-public-option-
FailureToCommunicate
(14,027 posts)madokie
(51,076 posts)in the bunch.
r'CON = republican't = republiCON
rgbecker
(4,834 posts)Gotta love 'em.
LWolf
(46,179 posts)TonyPDX
(962 posts)Nuclear Unicorn
(19,497 posts)Actually, "dismal" would be a more apt description. After the Vermont failure ,if the Colorado initiative suffers its projected 2:1 defeat I don't see any reasonable path forward for further reforms. It'll be good for keeping the party base in line but that will be its only prospects.
annabanana
(52,791 posts)Kirsten I KNEW would be there.
JNelson6563
(28,151 posts)While we are awash in GOP incompetence (and worse) in MI at least we always manage to send two Dems to the Senate.
ProfessorGAC
(65,337 posts)None of the sponsors have an "R" after their name. I never would have guess that.
Helen Borg
(3,963 posts)That is what counts in DC: pay back time for the donors.
Public Option? I don't think so, too many donors would lose money with that.
Festivito
(13,452 posts)The loss of jobs is a good argument for Republicans. The cost savings, less than half of what we all pay now, is what I would like shoved in their faces, over and over, until the public starts to realize that is true.
ChazInAz
(2,576 posts)They could get into more honest lines of work, such as used-car sales.
NightWatcher
(39,343 posts)In both cases it would be worth it.
yellowdogintexas
(22,288 posts)Adding a public option puts a different type of competition into play. If as I suspect the public option is traditional Medicare, then the public option is limited in the amount of profit.
However those claims are not all able to autoprocess. If that were so, none of the health insurance companies would need examiners.
I do not think it is done this way now, but when I was a Part B examiner for the Tennessee carrier, we were actually employed by the insurance company with all their benefits. So whether the claims are handled by insurance company employees, or government employees a large increase in members will necessitate more employees.
As long as we still have states not accepting the Medicaid expansion, and the insurance companies doing everything they can to make the federal exchange collapse the ACA is not going to succeed the way it should have
area51
(11,934 posts)The insurers can always start selling home insurance, car insurance, life insurance; there doesn't have to be job loss.
MadDAsHell
(2,067 posts)And amazingly, still not even coming from the guy that actually promised it to us.
geardaddy
(24,931 posts)Not surprised to not see Amykins Klobuchar corporate shill on the list.
yellowdogintexas
(22,288 posts)a public option now because of Joe Lieberman refusing to vote with the Democrats unless the public option was removed. Connecticut is the World Capitol of Insurance
Generic Other
(28,979 posts)A little lady with a big voice! I am proud to have her as a senator from my state.
Wounded Bear
(58,765 posts)dae
(3,396 posts)both houses and get it passed.
Thank you Sen. Sanders for keeping the issue alive.