Partnership Statement On Biden Health Care Proposal

WASHINGTON – The Partnership for America’s Health Care Future issued the following statement regarding former Vice President Joe Biden’s proposal to implement a new government health insurance system:

“We strongly believe that every American deserves access to high-quality health care, and we agree with the majority of Americans who believe the best way to achieve this is to build and improve upon what is working, while coming together to fix what isn’t,” Lauren Crawford Shaver, the Partnership’s Executive Director, said. “Unfortunately, Vice President Biden’s proposal for a new government insurance system through a ‘public option’ would undermine the progress our nation has made and ultimately lead our nation down the path of a one-size-fits-all health care system run by Washington. From driving up premiums in the private market, to threatening our nation’s already at-risk hospitals, to diminishing Americans’ access to the quality care they need, research warns that such an approach could be disastrous for patients and consumers.”

A recent study found that government insurance systems like the one Biden proposes could force hospitals to limit the care they provide, produce significant “layoffs” and “potentially force the closure of essential hospitals.” Other research reveals the significant risks to hospitals and patients posed by so-called “moderate” alternatives to Medicare for all, such as “public option” or “Medicare buy-in” proposals. One study found that “[f]or hospitals, the introduction of a public plan that reimburses providers using Medicare rates would compound financial stresses they are already facing, potentially impacting access to care and provider quality.”

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