Affordable Health Choices Act - On the Move

The Affordable Health Choices Act, the template for health care reform promoted by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee is scheduled for markup today.

You can view the markup hearing at Sen. Chris Dodd's web site here:

This markup hearing is critical because there is a possibility that changes could be made to the Act which would water down provisions to make insurance affordable and available to everyone.

More information on the AHCC Act here

Link to text of the bill here

Northern Ohio Breast Cancer Coalition supports the inclusion of a strong public insurance option to provide consumers with affordable choices in health care insurance plans. A well funded, well regulated government controlled health insurance plan that provides coverage for all, similar to Medicare, should be an available choice for consumers and businesses. A public option is essential to:

• ensuring competition among health insurance providers and
• lowering health care costs for the long term

Here's hoping we don't see good provisions for a public option watered down or deleted during this markup session.

Stay tuned for action alerts.