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The health care reform proposal released last week by Senate
Finance Committee chairman Max Baucus falls far short of the
comprehensive reform that would provide working families with
the quality and affordable health care we desperately need.
The Finance Committee bill's reliance on so-called health care co-ops as an alternative to a public option fails to put pressure on private insurers to control health care costs. There is no history or logic behind the claim that health care co-ops would provide real competition for the giant private insurers that have a stranglehold on health coverage today. Along with dropping the public health insurance option -- which is part of the House bill (H.R. 3200) and the Senate Health, Education Labor and Pension (HELP) committee bill -- the Baucus bill also taxes some health plans and individuals who fail to buy private insurance, while providing no penalties to irresponsible employers who do not provide coverage. The Baucus bill will not provide working families with good quality, affordable health care. It fails to ask employers to share responsibility and provide health care to their workers. And it does not keep the insurance companies honest because it lacks the choice of a national public health insurance option. So please call your Senators at 202-224-3121 or email using this link, and demand that the Finance Committee fix the Baucus bill and side with working families, not insurance companies. |
