Committees’ leaders seek input on public option legislation

Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chair Patty Murray, D-Wash., and House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, D-N.J., today announced plans to draft legislation to create a federally administered public option for health coverage and sought input on related questions until July 31. 

In a statement shared with the media today, AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack said, “America’s hospitals and health systems share the goal of achieving universal health coverage for all Americans. That’s why we support efforts to build on the current public-private system in which the vast majority of uninsured are already eligible for some form of subsidized coverage — through their employers, through Medicaid, or through the Marketplaces. We look forward to working with Chair Murray and Chair Pallone on these important issues. 

“We do not support the introduction of a public option plan that could increase the strain COVID-19 has placed on our health care system. This type of proposal would strip significant resources from providers by relying on inadequate reimbursement rates, increasing the risk of hospital closures and threatening access to care for patients and communities. 

“We continue to urge Congress and the Administration to work to improve the programs that already exist in an effort to ensure that everyone is enrolled in some form of comprehensive coverage.”