Ah, leadership
Posted on November 12th, 2008 by Jason Rosenbaum in Congress Watch
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It feels so good.
Today, Senator Max Baucus stepped firmly forward and proposed a vision for health care reform that can only be called "sweeping:"
Mr. Baucus would create a nationwide marketplace, a “health insurance exchange,” where people could compare and buy insurance policies. The options would include private insurance policies and a new public plan similar to Medicare. Insurers could no longer deny coverage to people who had been sick. Congress would also limit insurers’ ability to charge higher premiums because of a person’s age or prior illness.
People would have a duty to obtain coverage when affordable options were available to all through employers or through the insurance exchange. This obligation “would be enforced, possibly through the tax system,” the plan says.
Everyone over here at Health Care for America Now is applauding.
Specifically, the fact that Senator Baucus is proposing a vision that takes on insurance companies, makes health care affordable, and includes a public plan that provides for competition to lower costs for everyone makes this proposal hugely significant and extremely welcome.
And most importantly, we're delighted that Senator Baucus is committed to health care reform in 2009. As I've argued earlier, health care can't wait. And as Barack Obama put it, "We can't afford not to do it."
The chairman of the Senate Finance Committee (Sen. Baucus) is moving forward and showing leadership. The chairman of the HELP committee (Sen. Kennedy) is, too. So is our President-elect. After eight years making no progress towards the goal of quality, affordable health care for all, it's wonderful to finally have the momentum and leadership we need at all levels to get something truly meaningful written into law.