[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Pages 14710-14711]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              HEALTH CARE

  Mr. REID. Madam President, our plan to fix America's broken health 
care system is based on a simple premise: when it comes to keeping 
ourselves and our loved ones healthy, people--not corporations--should 
be in the driver's seat.
  We have a plan to right that wrong. That plan is guided by three 
goals: One, lower the high costs of health care; two, ensure every 
American has access to that quality, affordable care;

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three, let people choose their own doctors, hospitals, and health 
plans.
  One of those choices should be a public option. This has two primary 
benefits: First, people can choose to get their insurance from someone 
other than a greedy private insurance company; second, the very 
existence of that public option means there is more competition in the 
market. As a result, the private options will have to serve their 
customers even better.
  The Republicans often like to pretend the government will force you 
to take the public option. Every time you hear them say that, you know 
they are not interested in honest debate. After all, it is right in the 
name; it is a public ``option.'' So talking about government forcing 
anybody to do anything is simply unfair and not accurate. It is a 
public option, meaning you have choices.
  If you have coverage, and you like it, you can keep it. You should be 
able to choose the best coverage for your family. You should be able to 
compare benefits and prices instead of surrendering to out-of-control 
corporations. You, the individual, should be in control of your own 
family's health decisions.
  I am confident that both private insurance companies and the option 
of a public plan can live in harmony. When you send a birthday present 
to a relative--say, I want to send something to one of my children in 
Nevada--the products that I choose can be sent by FedEx, UPS, DHL, or 
you can choose the U.S. Postal Service. The Postal Service may not be 
perfect, but because that public option is there, the private 
companies--FedEx, UPS, and DHL--know they cannot overcharge, rip you 
off, or slack in their service.
  Just like our proposal for the health care system, you don't have to 
choose the Postal Service. But it is good to know it is there. For 
some, it is all they can afford. I hear every day from Nevadans who are 
asking for our help. They are people turned down for health coverage by 
insurance providers who care more about profits than people; people who 
lost their health coverage when they lost their jobs and now have no 
means of getting it back; people who play by the rules and rightly 
demand our health care system be guided by common sense.
  Nearly two-thirds of all bankruptcies are caused by medical problems 
and the exorbitant bills that ensue. Many of the foreclosures are both 
a cause and an effect for the global credit crisis and can be traced 
back to health insurance costs.
  If you agree we already have enough economic problems on our hands, 
if you agree we cannot wait another year while 50 million Americans 
live without any options to stay healthy, then you will agree now is 
the time for action, not partisan games.
  Insurance companies are holding Americans' health hostage. Far too 
many people cannot afford the ransom. If we are going to fix our broken 
health care system, we are going to have to return control to the 
people who need that care.
  I yield the floor.

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