New Report to Highlight Need for Public Health Insurance Plan Outlined in Obama's Proposal

Download the new report here (PDF)- The Case For Public Plan Choice in National Health Reform: Key to Cost Control and Quality Coverage

Download the Key Findings here (PDF)

Download the Press Release here (PDF)

Get the Q and A document here (PDF)

Listen to an audio recording of the press conference here (Quicktime MP3)

Get Jacob Hacker's "Health Care for America" report and the Lewin Group cost analysis of that report here

Leaders and Experts Agree that a Public Insurance Option is Critical to the Success of Obama’s Health Reform Proposals (PDF)

Author Jacob Hacker Finds Public Plan Vital to Controlling Costs, Improving Quality as Health Care Reform Debate Centers on Public Insurance Choice.

WASHINGTON – House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Pete Stark, D-Calif., will join health care expert and U.C. Berkeley professor Jacob Hacker and Institute for America’s Future co-director Roger Hickey on a conference call with reporters on Wednesday to release a new report by Hacker that shows that a public insurance option is a critical element of President-elect Barack Obama’s health care reforms.

With the insurance industry opposing key elements of reform embraced by President-elect Obama, his health care point person Tom Daschle and Senate Finance Committee chairman Sen. Max Baucus, the new report, to be released Wednesday, shows that a public insurance option is crucial to controlling health care costs and achieving quality coverage.

NEWS TELECONFERENCE
DATE: Wednesday, December 17th
TIME: 11 a.m. ET (8 a.m. PT)
CALL-IN: 866-316-1366
CODE: 4839124

PARTICIPANTS:

Introductions-Roger Hickey,

Co-Director, Institute for America’s Future.

Jacob Hacker,

Professor, U.C. Berkeley and author of The Great Risk Shift and Health Care for America, sponsored by the Economic Policy Institute, which helped shape President Elect Obama's healthcare plan.

Cong. Fortney (Pete) Stark,

CA-13, and Chair, Health Subcommittee, House Ways and Means Committee. As Chairman, he presided over major reforms to the Medicare system. While cutting billions of dollars in waste, fraud, and abuse, Stark expanded benefits for tens of millions of people with Medicare, provided COBRA health continuation benefits to workers, and made numerous improvements in the quality of our nation's health care.

**NOTE: Space is limited. Media representatives interested in joining the call should reserve a line by contacting Rachel Perrone at rperrone@ourfuture.org or 202-587-1639.**