Last week, Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) and 44 other House members introduced H.R. 261, the Public Option Deficit Reduction Act (pdf), which would amend President Barack Obama's healthcare law to include a public health insurance option.
When Congress crafted the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in 2009 and 2010, the public option — which essentially offers low-cost, comprehensive Medicare benefits to consumers through the health insurance marketplaces — was proposed as an alternative to private insurers. However, when President Obama signed the PPACA into law, the public option was not included and was a divisive partisan issue.
Rep. Schakowsky and others proposed H.R. 261 as a deficit measure, according to a news release. She said a public option could save the federal budget $104 billion over the next decade because private health insurers would have "to lower their premiums in order to compete."
"American health consumers deserve a publicly-accountable, transparent and lower-cost option," Rep. Schakowsky said in the release. "The bill…would provide that choice and lower the federal deficit at the same time. We cannot let for-profit insurance companies continue to prevent American consumers and American taxpayers from benefitting from passage of the public option."
When Congress crafted the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in 2009 and 2010, the public option — which essentially offers low-cost, comprehensive Medicare benefits to consumers through the health insurance marketplaces — was proposed as an alternative to private insurers. However, when President Obama signed the PPACA into law, the public option was not included and was a divisive partisan issue.
Rep. Schakowsky and others proposed H.R. 261 as a deficit measure, according to a news release. She said a public option could save the federal budget $104 billion over the next decade because private health insurers would have "to lower their premiums in order to compete."
"American health consumers deserve a publicly-accountable, transparent and lower-cost option," Rep. Schakowsky said in the release. "The bill…would provide that choice and lower the federal deficit at the same time. We cannot let for-profit insurance companies continue to prevent American consumers and American taxpayers from benefitting from passage of the public option."
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