“Our bill will stimulate fruitful discussion and debate on how we can really effect improvements to our nation’s health care system — improvements that can be accepted at all levels, from communities on up to the Federal government,” Hatch said.

The Wyden-Hatch concept of a national discussion on health care and guaranteed action in Congress is gaining support from a growing, diverse coalition of organizations including:

(Click on the following to view letters of support)
* AFL-CIO
* American Academy of Ophthalmology
* American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)
* American Hospice Foundation
* American Public Health Association
* Americans for Better Care of the Dying
* Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations
* Federation of American Hospitals
* Disease Management Association of America
* Families USA
* Health Care Leadership Council
* National Consumers League
* U.S. Chamber of Commerce

By giving people across the nation a voice in the process, the “Health Care that Works for All Americans Act” would reverse the Washington-based health reform process that has failed to produce meaningful reform in the past 50 years. Through open, public community meetings, the bill seeks to make citizen input the cornerstone of the reform process, giving citizens an opportunity to make hard decisions and voice their priorities for how to reshape the health care system. It would also guarantee a vote by Congress on the recommendations that result from the discussions.

Based on the citizen input at community meetings and online, a Citizens’ Health Care Working Group with 26 members representing a broad range of health care perspectives will develop recommendations to Congress for reforming the health care system. These recommendations must be rooted in the public participation process and the public must be given an opportunity to comment on the Working Group’s recommendations. The Working Group will then present to Congress and the President the revised recommendations, including any proposed legislation to implement those recommendations. The Wyden-Hatch bill is written to guarantee a vote in Congress on the proposed recommendations within three years of the enactment of the Wyden-Hatch Act.

“We must get past partisan politics,” Hatch said. “While those in Washington blame each other for doing nothing, the American public suffers. The costs of gridlock are simply too great — economically, socially, and morally. Something has to be done, sooner rather than later.”

“I don’t believe America is satisfied with the raw deal that 41 million Americans live with every day. It’s time to create a health care system where no one has to slip through the cracks, and Senator Hatch and I are committed to making that happen with a guarantee that the people’s health choices will be heard in the Congress,” Wyden said.

Upon its introduction, the Health Care that Works for All Americans Act will be referred to the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee for consideration.