Time’s A Wastin’ – PA Health Care Events Demand Reform Now
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July 8, 2008
Philadelphia, PA - Choices, lower costs, and less paperwork. Those are three of the goals of a campaign kicking off today in Pennsylvania, aimed at getting health care reform in place as soon as possible.
Jeff Garis with Penn Action says there's a long list of businesses, medical professionals, and other interested groups involved, because the crisis has become so severe.
"We need to have guaranteed coverage and care. It's got to be affordable based on what people can pay. People should be able to have a choice of health insurance plans."
The proposal would create a public national insurance option for people who can't afford to buy coverage on their own, aren't happy with their coverage, are under-insured, or have pre-existing conditions. No one would be forced to change to the plan.
Garis says the blueprint for a new health insurance option is based on simple and fair concepts.
"Getting coverage should be part of a streamlined process that is predictable and that minimizes the tremendous amount of bureaucracy that wastes so much time and so much money."
Critics argue a national plan would be unfair competition for the insurance industry and would encourage employers to drop coverage.
More information is available online at www.healthcareforamericanow.org. More on Penn Action is available at www.pennaction.org.