Health Care For America Now

Washington, DC - Over the past couple of months, more than 2.8 million people across America have signed petitions in support of health care reform that includes a strong national public health insurance option. More than 400,000 signatures supporting the public health insurance option were collected in the last week alone.

Health Care for America Now, MoveOn.org, Campaign for America's Future, and TrueMajority.org have collected more than 270,000 petition signatures in the past week. See the petition here.

"Our members have spoken loud and clear," said Justin Ruben, Executive Director of MoveOn.org. "The best way to lower costs and fight the stranglehold the insurance industry has on our current health care system is to support a real public option. We're looking to our elected officials to stand firm on real health care reform."

"Our supporters are counting on the President to fight for bold health care change -- and to guarantee that families forced to buy insurance are provided good and affordable choices -- including a strong public health insurance option. Guaranteed affordability and the public option are key to breaking the stranglehold that private insurers have over our health care system," said Roger Hickey, Co-Director, Campaign for America's Future.

Credo has collected an additional 143,000 signatures this week on the following statement:

President Obama: When it comes to health care reform, the public option is not optional. You campaigned on change and on a health care plan that included a public option. But aside from single payer, a health care bill without a robust public option is just more of the same. If you are sincere about supporting the public plan, tell Congress and the voters that you will not sign a bill without a robust public option similar to Medicare.

Democracy for America has more than 411,000 sign-ons to its petition. "The one million members of Democracy for America stand united in support for a public option with the nearly half a million Americans who've signed Governor Howard Dean's petition at StandWithDrDean.com" said Mary Rickles, Communications Director, Democracy for America.

Organizing for America along with the Democratic National Committee have collected more than 1.6 million petition signatures to date. (PDF)

The Progressive Change Campaign Committee adds an additional 80,000 signatures, and Working America has collected more than a quarter million signatures through canvassing.

"Working America has been going door to door talking to people about health care reform that lowers costs, increases quality, and gives people the choice of a public health insurance option. We gathered over 275,000 signatures on our petition and more than 20,000 letters in support of reform since June," said Maggie Priebe, Program Director, Working America.

In anticipation of tonight's speech, Richard Kirsch, National Campaign Manager, Health Care for America Now, adds the following:

"Our number one goal is to guarantee good coverage that people can afford. The choice of a national public health insurance option available on day one is the best way to give people real choice, lower costs, and force the insurance companies to behave better.  It’s one of the many elements of comprehensive reform that ensures that coverage is truly affordable, that people get the benefits they need, that we have shared responsibility between employers, individuals, and government, and that we regulate insurance companies so they have to play by the rules. These are our principles for reform, and they have been the President’s principles.  We look forward to President Obama making the case for health care reform that benefits everyone and outlining his vision for how we achieve quality, affordable health care for all in 2009."