L.A. Care Health Plan, the nation’s largest publicly operated health plan, is pleased to announce that it has provided public comment to two members of Congress who are proposing legislation for a national public option. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), are working on the legislation that could help lower health care costs and give access to quality, affordable health care to millions more families across the country. L.A. Care is in a unique position to offer meaningful insight for the legislators since it is an example of a successfully operating public option.
L.A. Care started as a Medi-Cal plan in 1997, and enthusiastically jumped into the Covered California exchange after passage of the Affordable Care Act. The health plan had two goals in doing this – to ensure more access to affordable health coverage for people in Los Angeles County by providing a not-for-profit competitor to the commercial health plans, and to offer continuity of care for members with fluctuating incomes. L.A. Care has succeeded in both goals.
The Affordable Care Act was under attack for more than a decade, but last month, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the latest challenge to the landmark law, and many believe it is the end of such challenges. The nation can now move on from ‘repeal and replace’ to ‘improve and expand.’ The addition of a public option would do just that.
L.A. Care is proving that a public option can increase consumer choice, offer access to a large provider network, and ensure rates remain affordable. It is also showing that a public option can co-exist with commercial plans. L.A. Care hopes Senator Murray and Congressman Pallone
take a good look at L.A. Care and use it as a model for successful public options all across the country.