Doctors Say Congress Must Include Public Option in Health Care Reform

October 05, 2009

CA Lt. Gov. John Garamendi speaks at the UAPD press conference.

On Friday in Oakland, California, the Union of American Physicians & Dentists (UAPD – an AFSCME affiliate) and Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi announced the results of a survey that shows doctors overwhelmingly support offering a public option as part of health care reform. According to the internal survey, more than 80% of UAPD doctors consider some form of public health insurance to be the best plan for American health care.

“What these findings tell us,” said UAPD President Dr. Stuart Bussey, “is that our doctors overwhelmingly support a vigorous public option as part of national health care reform. Our experience with patients in the field has shown us that a strong public option is absolutely essential for containing medical costs and keeping the private insurance industry honest.”

Those results echo a survey published last month in the New England Journal of Medicine showing that nearly three quarters of physicians support some form of a public option.

AFSCME and other advocates for meaningful health care reform strongly support a public health insurance option because it would help lower costs, improve quality, cover more and stop insurance company abuses. In releasing the survey results, UAPD urged Congress to stand up to insurance industry opposition and include a robust public option in national health care reform legislation.