Senators answer video questions on health insurance reform

By Sen. Byron Dorgan

Ed. note: The following post by Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND) was sent to me by the Senate Democratic Policy Committee, of which he is the chair (and with which I am in frequent contact). Sen. Dorgan introduces a new video feature at the DPC's website called The Citizens' Forum. It provides a valuable opportunity for Americans to ask questions about health-care reform and to have them answered directly by senators. It also provides viewers with the facts on some of the key elements of reform, an important resource given the lies of the Republican obstructionists on the other side. You can find The Citizens' Forum here. I encourage you to check it out. -- MJWS

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Let's face it. There is a lot of misinformation swirling around about the health insurance reform proposals pending in Congress. The Senate Democratic Policy Committee (DPC) has launched a new video feature, The Citizens' Forum, to help Americans find the facts about health reform.

The series provides an opportunity for Americans to ask questions about health insurance reform, and to have those questions answered by members of the United States Senate. The DPC is the policy research and development arm of the Senate Democratic Caucus, so it is uniquely suited to answering questions about the new policy proposals being developed.

Our website also has a number of informative policy papers that will be helpful to those following this debate.

In the first installment of The Citizens' Forum, Senators answer some basic questions about pending reformproposals: How will it affect those with pre-existing conditions? Will it promote prevention and wellness, or continue the current system's focus on treating illness? What does it mean for young people? Will it be fiscally responsible?

For most Americans, the debate over whether our health insurance system is broken ended long ago. The question, now, is how do we fix it? Over 14,000 Americans lose their health insurance coverage every day. Millions more are just one pink slip in a troubled economy away from joining those ranks, too. And tens of millions more struggle to keep up with constantly and rapidly rising health insurance premium costs. The status quo is pretty hard to defend. It’s just not sustainable.

Those who do defend the status quo -- with its arbitrary policy cancellations, coverage denials, and ever escalating costs -- don't have a lot of facts on their side. Some have resorted to scare tactics and dumping misinformation into the public discussion.

The DPC's new video series, The Citizens' Forum, aims to provide an alternative -- a chance for Americans to ask direct questions and get direct answers.

I urge everybody to view this video series, and to submit questions.

We all have a lot at stake in this debate. I am confident that having accurate information and a robust exchange of ideas will help us reach the right conclusion.

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As I have stated repeatedly, the right conclusion, as Sen. Dorgan puts it, is a substantial reform package that gives people choice, and hope, by taking control of the system away from the insurance industry and expands coverage towards eventual universality -- and that, to that end, includes a robust public option. -- MJWS