Listen to the call
WASHINGTON, DC— In a joint teleconference with Doctors for America and the Center for American Progress Action Fund, President of Doctors for America Dr. Vivek Murthy, Executive Director of Doctors for America Dr. Alice Chen, and CAP Action Senior Fellow Judy Feder highlighted the strong support from doctors across the country for the inclusion of a public plan in health care reform legislation.
On the call, Dr. Murthy said the following:
"We’ve spent the last year or more speaking to physicians across the country and bringing doctors from all 50 states together, and what they’re telling us is that they urgently need health reform and that a well-crafted public option is an important part of a health reform solution."
He went on to say that:
"We know that a robust, well-crafted public plan, a plan that basically gives more of our patients the access that they need, that provides them with choice of their insurer, that rewards physicians for delivering the kind of care that we want, and also that values quality and that promotes prevention and wellness—this is the kind of plan that physicians and patients need this year."
Listen to the call
—
Doctors for America leaders Dr. Vivek Murthy, Dr. Milan de Vries, Dr. Alice Chen and Dr. Mandy Krauthamer released the following statement after the call:
“Across America, doctors are struggling to give care to their patients. We see patients all the time who don’t have the coverage they need. That is why the doctors we speak to directly are so adamant that they need health reform to happen this year. The current health reform effort, including the consideration of a public option, is about providing high quality, affordable care to all Americans. A well crafted public option will reduce cost, increase access to care, and provide patients with more choice about their insurance coverage. As doctors, that is a mission we wholeheartedly support. “In the current system, too many patients are struggling with costs that are too high and quality that is inconsistent. As physicians, we don’t think it is right that many of our patients are going bankrupt paying for medical expenses and that they aren’t getting the high quality care they deserve. This needs to change. “This is why physicians across the country are standing up together to say that we need health reform now. Doctors are not ready to walk away from reform that makes it easier for people to get to a doctor, rewards doctors for providing high quality care, and makes care more affordable. As doctors, we want Congress to consider a public plan, and we want to work with Congress to make it a good one. "You can see what physicians are saying right now in all 50 states on the Doctors for America Voices of Physicians map: www.voicesofphysicians.org.”
###