Ron Wyden has a heath care reform proposal has been left behind in favor of House Resolution 3200 and other plans being debated in Congress and around the states in town hall meetings such as the one in Medford . Medford's town hall meeting drew about 600 at a local Medford elementary school. Wyden’s proposal for universal health care coverage will finally get the widespread debate it deserves. Although not as widely publicized, it has advantages that other plans in Congress don’t. For example, the 2007 legislation, called the Healthy Americans Act, starts with bipartisan support, because it’s co-sponsored by Democrat Wyden and Sen. Orrin Hatch( R) Utah. Also, it does not have the “public option” that the has received stiff opposition from the Republicans. In addition, Wyden and Hatch’s plan received high marks from the Congressional Budget Office it is estimated it could return surpluses to the government
after its first two years. The Healthy Americans Act would require workers to buy policies from a pool of private insurers. Employers who offer insurance would drop their policies and transfer that money to their workers in higher wages. Low-income Americans would receive taxpayer-funded subsidies to pay their premiums. A basic level of coverage would be mandated, with workers able to buy more if they so desire. The act would also create incentives for individuals and insurers to focus on preventive care and wellness. Because most people would pay their own premiums, there would be a direct connection between how much health care people require and their premiums, thus an incentive to keep costs down. lets hear Wydens plan before jumping into a costly bill that Americans can not afford.