Background Information on Public Health Care Plan

A human rights assessment demonstrates that when private companies stand between us and our rights, too many people are unable to get the care they need. Publicly financed and administered health care is the strongest vehicle for creating a system that is truly universal, equitable and accountable.

If we recognize health care as a right and a public good, shared fairly by all, we can create a health care system that works for everyone. To do so, the Senate must show leadership now and provide a Medicare-like public health care plan that guarantees access for all and has comprehensive benefits, without using private companies as middlemen.

The Senate's legislation is crucial in determining the fate of publicly funded health care for all. The Senate Finance Committee, chaired by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), is currently finalizing its bill, which must then be marked up and voted on. That committee – and the Senate as a whole – faces huge pressure from the insurance industry and other forces committed to keeping health care a commodity, not a public good.

Once the Finance Committee finalizes its legislation, that bill will be reconciled with that of the Senate health committee, led by Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) in the absence of the committee chair, Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA), who is ill. The full Senate, led by Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV), will then revise and vote on final legislation.

Baucus, Dodd and Reid are key players who will decide whether the Senate's legislation creates a Medicare-like public plan for all. This would be a key step towards treating health care as a public good and one day ensuring that the human right to health care becomes a reality for everyone in the United States. Write them today!

» Take action: Urge the Senate to Include a Public Health Care Plan!