CMA Health Policy Blog

Connecticut’s Senators, Health Care Reform, and Lessons From Medicare

November 20, 2009 at 10:57 pm Judith Stein Leave a comment

The Center for Medicare Advocacy is incorporated and headquartered in Connecticut.  People from this state can be proud of the courage our senior senator, Chris Dodd, has shown in leading health care reform.  As a leader of the Senate’s efforts, Senator Dodd is once again speaking and fighting for real reform, to include a public option.  We urge our other Senator, Joe Lieberman, to review the true costs and principles involved in this historic opportunity to insure all Americans, and to vote along with Senator Dodd for real health care reform.

The Center has been representing people with Medicare since 1986. We know what we’re talking about when we talk about the benefits and costs of public health insurance. 

Medicare is public health insurance. It brought basic health coverage to older people in 1965, when 50% of people over 65 had NO insurance because the private market didn’t want to insure them. All the arguments being made now against health care reform and a “public option,” were also made against Medicare before it passed. Medicare was hardly bi-partisan legislation; it barely passed.

Now most everyone appreciates Medicare and the health and economic security it brings to older people and their families. We can only hope Congress, and both of our Connecticut senators, will vote courageously again, as those before them did to enact Medicare.  This time we call upon Congress to bring health and economic security to younger Americans by voting for health reform – with a public option.

Entry filed under: Health Care Reform, Medicare, Public Option, Public vs. Private Health Coverage.