August 27, 2009

Getting Health Care Reform Right

As you know, our company has been pursuing responsible and sustainable health care reform as the Senate and House of Representatives have been working this summer -- and will continue to do so going forward.

We have also launched our grassroots Web site, the Wellpoint Health Action Network, to assist you with contacting your elected officials as well as notifying friends, neighbors and family members about this important issue.

Regrettably, the Congressional legislation, as currently passed by four of the five key committees in Congress, does not meet our definition of responsible and sustainable reform. At this stage, the legislative proposals would likely have a significant negative impact on our partners and customers by:  

• Causing tens of millions of Americans to lose their private coverage and end up in a government-run plan;
• Limiting customers' choices of the products they can purchase and how they can purchase health coverage; and
• Increasing the premiums of those with private coverage by imposing new mandates and coverage requirements.

Please make your voice heard on this important issue by writing Congress and encouraging your elected officials to get health reform done -- and done right -- by acting in a bipartisan fashion to make health care more affordable, improve quality, and cover all Americans in a sustainable way.

Please visit the Health Action Network and write an e-mail, make a phone call, or alert others about the opportunity to use our Web site to write a letter encouraging members of Congress to reconsider their present course and instead to pass responsible and sustainable health care reform.

Together, we can get health care reform done right.