ProgressOhio

Progress Ohio and ACORN activists delivered over 350 letters to Senator Sherrod Brown's Columbus office today, thanking the Senator for his leadership on healthcare reform – specifically for his advocacy of a public plan option.

The letters (last names removed) from the Progress Ohio community are available here:
http://www.progressohio.org/page/-/Documents/Thank_You_Senator_Brown.pdf

Last week, Senator Brown circulated a letter announcing support for the inclusion of a public health insurance option in comprehensive health care reform. As of yesterday, a total of 21 Senators have signed on to the letter, which outlines how reform with a public health insurance option could lower health costs, improve quality of care, and ensure access in rural and other underserved areas.

 “As we take steps to make coverage more affordable and accessible, we must heed past experience that private insurance alone cannot accomplish our goals,” wrote the senators today in a letter to Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT). “To achieve meaningful reform, insurers must compete based on quality and affordability – but clearly that has not always been the case.  Indeed, history suggests that the insurance industry will build a business model at least in part around pushing government subsidies upward.  A public option that sets the standard for quality, efficiency, and cost will create incentives for healthy competition that will serve the interests of all Americans."

Senator Brown was the keynote speaker at an April 17 Cleveland Heights event that drew over 400 attendees. The event was organized by Progress Ohio, ACORN, the Ohio Faith and Democracy Collaborative, and other Health Care for America Now (HCAN) coalition partners. 

Video of the event here: http://www.progressohio.org/page/community/post/daveharding/CqnD