Families USA Plans to Endorse the Senate Health Insurance Reform Bill

The Organization Will Also Seek to Improve Affordability Protections, Especially for Low-Income Families, in the Final Conference Committee Bill

Washington, D.C.--Families USA, the national organization for health care consumers, today sent letters to members of the Senate indicating that it intends to endorse the health insurance reform bill and indicating that it will support the legislation despite the organization's disappointment about the lack of a robust public plan option.

The Families USA letter also indicated that it intends to work with the Senate and House leadership so that the final bill, to be worked out in a Conference Committee, "strengthens premium subsidies and out-of-pocket affordability protections, especially for people and families in greatest need."

The letter says that "families across America will benefit enormously from the bill's extensive improvements to our nation's health care system." It also indicates that "the failure to enact health insurance reform would have disastrous consequences for America's families and businesses."

In his release of the letter, Ron Pollack, Executive Director of Families USA, said: "In the next week, we will reach the most critical stage of the health insurance reform debate. For the millions upon millions of families that are, and will soon be, priced out of the health coverage and care they need, it is essential to finalize a strong bill so that overdue insurance reform protections are enacted.

"Amidst all of the debate about this legislation, it must be clearly kept in mind that failure to enact health insurance reform now is the worst of all possible outcomes. We are at a crossroads. We must seize this historic opportunity to enact the most meaningful health care reform in generations, lest this moment slip away."  

###

Families USA is the national organization for health care consumers. It is nonprofit and nonpartisan and advocates for high-quality, affordable health care for all Americans.

1201 New York Avenue NW, Suite 1100 · Washington, DC 20005
202-628-3030 · Email: info@familiesusa.org · www.familiesusa.org