Rep. Anthony Weiner: 'My health is on the line'

"Leaving private insurance companies the job of controlling the costs of healthcare is like making a pyromaniac the fire chief." - Rep. Anthony Weiner

There’s no question a public plan within a public exchange is necessary. Nearly 9 million Americans have lost their health insurance since 2000. 1 in 6 Americans have no healthcare insurance at all. That’s over 50 million people. Estimates are as high as 75 million Americans may not have enough coverage to cover their own healthcare.

"I do not think for-profit health insurance providers will ever be the answer. I do not want someone worrying about their profit margin when my health is on the line." - Rep. Anthony Weiner

There’s no incentive for private plans to offer more affordable rates or better coverage unless they have to compete with a plan that puts people first. A public health insurance plan is important to guarantee that all Americans will have an affordable choice among insurance providers with the freedom to choose which plan works best for you and your family. Through competition and choice, we will make coverage more affordable and accountable for everyone.

Americans deserve the right to choose their own healthcare. Limiting choice to for-profit insurance only, is the same broken healthcare system we have right now. With public option, doctors and hospitals and all care providers will still be operating in the free market. Patients will have more choice than they do today.

There is no need to create something new or unfamiliar to the American people. Americans already know about for-profit insurance and they already know about Medicare. Medicare has been around for over 40 years. A universally available public option will be open to anyone regardless of gender, race, religion, income or employer. A pubic option will allow anyone and everyone to choose a healthcare plan provided by the government like Medicare is today. There is nothing new about Medicare, now we need to make a public option like Medicare available to all Americans.

The goal of health care reform is to provide quality, affordable health care for every American while preserving what works in today’s system, expanding choice, and containing costs.

It's really that simple. And, it's that necessary.