By Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz
Reforming healthcare is more than angry town halls and political rhetoric thrown around cable news shows and in the halls of Congress. It is a serious matter that requires serious solutions. Members of Congress have an obligation to make access to healthcare affordable and accessible and take control of the ballooning costs. These skyrocketing costs are consuming budgets, overwhelming families and crippling our nation’s resources.
For decades, this country has endured a broken system that restricts and denies coverage when individuals need it most. Everyday, my office hears heartbreaking stories of individuals and families losing their insurance due to pre-existing conditions, bankruptcies and the exorbitant cost of care. Even for those with “good quality” healthcare coverage, the premiums alone force many to choose between medication or food on the table.
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Some members of Congress are not making it easy to pass true reform. Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) recently released his version of healthcare reform.
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President Obama’s recognition of a public option as an integral part of the healthcare reform legislation is a good first step; now, he needs to be more direct about what the public option means and what it will do for the American people. President Obama must live up to the promises he made about real change and prove that he truly stands for the uninsured and working families that need and demand a public option.
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