The bill that the Senate Finance Committee is considering includes non-government, non-profit, member-owned healthcare cooperatives in lieu of a "public option" to promote competition and provide individuals and small businesses an alternative to private insurance.

Do you support the Co-op proposal?

Communicating for America helped establish the first State High Risk Pool in Minnesota in 1976 to ensure that individuals who were denied health coverage because of pre-existing conditions would have access to affordable health insurance. All of the major healthcare bills currently being considered by Congress include provisions that would stop insurance companies from denying coverage to individuals based on pre-existing conditions, however these new provisions would not go into effect until 2013 or later. Do you support the expansion of State High Risk Pools in the interim to guarantee that individuals with pre-existing conditions have immediate access to affordable health insurance?

The Finance bill is the only bill that includes taxing insurers that offer plans with premiums above $8,750 for individuals and $23,000 for family plans. Many experts believe that this is necessary to "bend the cost curve" by discouraging high cost insurance plans. Do you support this provision?

Do you have any other comments or concerns about healthcare reform that you would like CA to share with Congress?