Public Option Essential to Bringing Down Rising Costs, Ensuring Competition in the Market
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO), Vice Chair of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, today released the following statement in response to President Barack Obama’s address to a joint session of Congress on health care:
“President Obama clearly laid out the way forward in reforming our nation’s health insurance system. The President and Congress are working together on a plan that will bring security and stability to millions of Americans who have insurance today, and affordable coverage to those who do not. Doing nothing is simply not an option.
“As President Obama has called for, our plan builds upon the parts of our health care system that do well while reforming the parts that are broken. Skyrocketing costs and the lack of competition in our insurance market have put us in an unsustainable position. I agree with the President that consumers do better when there is choice and competition. The best way to achieve this is by offering a strong public option that will not only bring down rising costs, but will also ensure competition and transparency among private companies within the insurance Exchange. No one will be forced into the public option, but they will have that choice as an affordable alternative.”
“President Obama clearly laid out the way forward in reforming our nation’s health insurance system. The President and Congress are working together on a plan that will bring security and stability to millions of Americans who have insurance today, and affordable coverage to those who do not. Doing nothing is simply not an option.
“As President Obama has called for, our plan builds upon the parts of our health care system that do well while reforming the parts that are broken. Skyrocketing costs and the lack of competition in our insurance market have put us in an unsustainable position. I agree with the President that consumers do better when there is choice and competition. The best way to achieve this is by offering a strong public option that will not only bring down rising costs, but will also ensure competition and transparency among private companies within the insurance Exchange. No one will be forced into the public option, but they will have that choice as an affordable alternative.”
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