Retirees Praise Reid Support of Public Option
Monday, October 26, 2009
For Immediate
Release
Retirees Praise Reid Support of Public
Option
Senate Moving in Right Direction,
Seniors Advocate Says
The following statement was issued today by Edward F. Coyle, Executive Director of the Alliance for Retired Americans, in support of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's inclusion of a public option in the Senate health reform bill.
"Members of the Alliance for Retired Americans are pleased to learn of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's inclusion of a public option in the still-developing Senate health reform bill. Today’s action by Majority Leader Reid is a solid step toward legislation that will help Americans of all ages better afford to see a doctor or get a prescription filled.
"Because of Medicare, retirees know firsthand how important the public option is. Medicare is a great American success story. It has helped reduce senior poverty by two-thirds, and has shown a valuable role for the federal government in improving health care. A robust public option would be a refreshing alternative to the exorbitant premiums charged by the big insurance corporations who profit by denying care and discriminating against pre-existing conditions.
"Grassroots activists with the Alliance for Retired Americans will continue to mobilize on behalf of a health reform bill that, in addition to the public option, closes the Medicare Part D doughnut hole, lowers prescription drug costs, helps early retirees afford health care coverage, and assists middle-class families with the costs of long-term care."
# # #
Contact: Laura Markwardt (202) 637-5178 or lmarkwar@retiredamericans.org