Congressman Alan Grayson introduces ¿Public Option Act¿

(WOFL FOX 35) - Congressman Alan Grayson introduced a bill on Tuesday which he said would give the option to buy into Medicare to every citizen of the United States.

The “Public Option Act,” also known as the “Medicare You Can Buy Into Act,” would open up the Medicare network to anyone who can pay for it.

Congressman Grayson said, “Obviously, America wants and needs more competition in health coverage, and a public option offers that. But it’s just as important that we offer people not just another choice, but another kind of choice. A lot of people don’t want to be at the mercy of greedy insurance companies that will make money by denying them the care that they need to stay healthy, or to stay alive. We deserve to have a real alternative.”

Congressman Grayson said the bill would require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish enrollment periods, coverage guidelines, and premiums for the program. Because premiums would be equal to cost, the program would pay for itself, according to Grayson.

“The government spent billions of dollars creating a Medicare network of providers that is only open to one-eighth of the population. That’s like saying, ‘Only people 65 and over can use federal highways.’ It is a waste of a very valuable resource and it is not fair. This idea is simple, it makes sense, and it deserves an up-or-down vote,” Congressman Grayson said.

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Congressman Grayson stirred some controversy last year after he spoke on the House floor criticizing Republican health care proposals as a "blank piece of paper" saying, "The Republicans want you to die quickly if you get sick."

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Grayson, a first-term Democrat known for being provocative, represents a Republican-leaning district around Orlando and was already among the GOP's top targets for the 2010 elections.