Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., and Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., both leaders of important House caucuses supporting a public insurance option, will join health care expert Jacob Hacker and Campaign for America’s Future co-director Roger Hickey on a conference call on Thursday to discuss a new report that details the reasons why growing blocs of House members refuse to support a health care bill without a public insurance option.

The report details how a strong public health insurance plan is critical to successfully achieving the goals of national health reform—lower costs, higher quality and guaranteed health security for all Americans. The paper evaluates the different proposals for health reform advancing through Congress for their potential to satisfy the president’s goals for health reform. Reps. Grijalva and Ellison will discuss efforts to secure a strong public health insurance plan. Hacker will discuss his new report, which details key elements of a strong public plan in the House and Senate bills and why an alternative proposal, insurance cooperative, are destined to fail.

HEALTH INSURANCE REFORM NEWS CONFERENCE CALL
DATE: Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009
TIME:  11 a.m. ET
CALL-IN: 888-438-5524, code 1746008
PARTICIPANTS: Roger Hickey, co-dir., Campaign for America’s Future

Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., Congressional Progressive Caucus co-chair and Hispanic Caucus member
Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., Congressional Progressive Caucus vice co-chair and Black Caucus member
Jacob Hacker, professor, Yale University