[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 14]
[House]
[Pages 18943-18944]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          THE PUBLIC'S OPTION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, the American Medical Association has given 
a ringing endorsement of H.R. 3200, America's Affordable Health Choices 
Act. This legislation contains a strong public insurance option which 
would guarantee that quality, affordable health care is available to 
all Americans.
  The AMA has not always been on board with health care reform. Many of 
us remember their opposition to President Clinton's efforts. Yet the 
AMA and the millions of doctors it represents now realize that the 
status quo system is broken. They understand the urgency of the 
problem, and they recognize that the pending bill is a major part of 
the solution.
  The AMA's strong voice joins the chorus of Americans who want this 
Congress to pass a health care reform bill that includes a public 
option. Nearly three-quarters of all Americans want the option to 
participate in a government-administered health insurance plan that 
competes on a level playing field with private insurers. Popular 
support for the public option is not a partisan issue. Seventy-one 
percent of independent voters support the public option, and so do half 
of all Republican voters.
  Americans want this bill. They want the public option, and they want 
us to act now.
  Americans understand the critical role the public option plays in 
slowing skyrocketing health care costs. A government-administered plan 
can provide quality insurance at a low cost, leading by example to make 
the health care market more efficient.
  Efficiency will save families money. If we fail to act, the cost of 
health care for the average family of four will rise

[[Page 18944]]

by $1,800 annually for years to come. The public option is not just 
important for families. It's also key to putting our Nation's economy 
on the road to a full and sustainable recovery. If we don't contain 
health care costs, then our Nation's budget deficit will continue to 
spiral out of control.
  Let us be very clear. The public option is not an attempt to drive 
private insurers out of business. Some State governments already offer 
their employees a choice between public and private health insurance, 
and private insurers have fared just fine.
  A public option is critical to containing the health care costs that 
weigh so heavily on our Nation's families and on our Nation's economy. 
The public option does what a good private policy should do. It 
promotes primary care. It caps out-of-pocket spending so that a family 
medical crisis no longer means a family financial crisis. It 
establishes shared accountability between doctors, patients and the 
insurer. It institutes new payment structures to promote critical 
reforms. It will ensure that patients are able to get the medically 
effective treatments their doctors recommend. In short, it provides 
high-quality care at an affordable price.
  Just like private plans, the public option will be financially self-
sustaining, receiving no special government funding beyond a loan to 
get it off the ground. The public plan will be bound by exactly the 
same rules that regulate private insurers. In other words, the public 
plan will compete on a level playing field with private insurers.
  Some powerful industries have spoken out against the public option. 
They prefer the status quo where decisions about treatment a patient 
receives are determined according to a company's bottom line rather 
than according to what a patient needs.
  On the side of meaningful reform, the most important voice of all is 
calling for the inclusion of a public option. That loud chorus is the 
voice of the American people. Now is the time to listen to them. Now is 
the time for health reform with a strong public option.

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