From VIA's Executive Director - Show Sen. Sanders your support for health care reform!

December 19, 2009

Dear VIA leaders and friends,

We are close to the end game on getting some substantive health care reform that will insure many millions more Americans and regulate the insurance industry so that it provides higher quality of care for everyone. The Senate is working hard to bring their bill to a vote before Christmas, so that the House and Senate bills can then be reconciled into one bill that is passed by mid-January.

Although the Senate bill does not have a public plan option, our stance all along has been that such an option is a means to an end, not the end in itself. The goal is to provide competition to the insurance companies so that they provide better coverage and keep costs down. There are other measures in the bill besides a public plan option that will achieve these ends. And as long as the premiums and out-of-pocket expenses of plans are affordable for families, we will have achieved real health care reform.

Sen. Bernie Sanders is a key figure at this point and he seems to be unsure about the current bill. Please let him know we want health care reform passed, even if the bill does not have everything that we desire.

You can call 1-866-279-5474 and you will be connected to his office.

Our message: “Even though the bill is not perfect, some reform is better than no reform. Please vote in favor of the bill, and make sure that there are standards in place in the reconciled bill that make policies affordable for everyone.”

I know this is a busy season for everyone, but please take a few minutes to make sure that your voice is heard at this historic time!

Thank you,
Debbie