As I reported yesterday, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee unveiled its plan for a public health insurance option after a weeks-long delay, and leaders announced that it had the support of every Democrat on the panel…including Sen. Kay Hagan (D-NC).
Last night, Hagan made it official in a joint statement with committee members. “My colleagues and I on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee have been working on a plan to reform the health care system in this country,” Hagan said. “We have crafted a plan that will stabilize health care costs and includes a Community Health Insurance Option, which I support.”
This clears the path for the legislation to be moved out of committee. Until now, her objections to the public option were blocking it. That raised the ire of liberal groups like MoveOn, which targeted her directly. Now, everyone’s friends again. “MoveOn commends Senator Hagan for deciding to support the health care reform bill that the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee released today, which includes a national public health insurance option,” MoveOn Executive Director Justin Ruben said in a statement.
A public health insurance option will lower the cost of insurance and medical care for everyone, and put an end to many of the predatory practices of private insurers. This measure is the heart of health care reform and is supported by MoveOn’s five million members as well as the majority of the American people. With the support of legislators like Senator Hagan, we can come closer to our goal of making quality health insurance accessible and affordable for everyone.
