U.S. Rep. Lynn Woolsey: We Need a Real and Robust Public Option

[marmar]

via Michael Moore.com:




Friday, June 12th, 2009
We Need a Real and Robust Public Option ...by Rep. Lynn Woolsey

Huffington Post


In the weeks ahead, Congress will take up one of the most pressing and glaring problems facing our nation -- our broken and dysfunctional health care system. As most of you already know, while American taxpayers spend more per capita on health care than anyone in the world, we have a health care system which leaves nearly 50 million people without access to a doctor. Even those with coverage are never more than one accident away from bankruptcy, or one job loss away from losing the coverage that they and their family rely on. The current situation is disgraceful, and at a time of economic turmoil, it's a threat to our nation's livelihood. That's why our nation must move towards a system of universal coverage which ensures that every American can see a doctor when they're sick, or get the prescriptions drugs that will save their life.

Providing universal access to health care is one of the 'Progressive Promises' that the Congressional Progressive Caucus was founded on. And today, we are getting close to succeeding in developing a health care system that works for all Americans.

Over the past few months, the Progressive Caucus, which I co-chair along with my colleague Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), has demanded that any reform legislation include a real and robust public option. We have put our party's leadership on notice that, after consulting our 80 members, a majority of the Progressive Caucus will only support health care legislation which includes a public option that will expand access, cut costs, and provide all consumers with a choice of plans.

I know that many of you wish that the health care debate would go further, and that it would include a single payer system. So do I. A credible and robust public option, however, will be a significant step towards getting us to the point of offering a single-payer plan where every American has the health care that they deserve. That's why the Progressive Caucus is fighting for it to be included, and that's why most Republicans, and some Democrats, object to any proposal except the continuation of the tried and failed insurance company system. ........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.michaelmoore.com/mustread/index.php?id=1220

[MichiganVote]

1. A significant step is to eliminate tax payer funded Congressional healthcare.

[sutz12]

2. K & R

:kick:

There is no reform without a viable and robust public financed option.