Consumer Watchdog Urges President-elect Obama to Continue to Oppose Mandatory Purchase of Junk Health...( SANTA MONICA Calif. Dec. 3 -- The n...),Health

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Dec. 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The nationally recognized Consumer Watchdog urged President-elect Obama to oppose the health insurance industry's self-serving plan detailed today requiring every American to buy junk insurance policies or face tax penalties or other fines. The plan would not limit what insurers can charge or reduce health insurance profit and overhead -- the fastest growing component of health care spending. As a candidate, President-elect Obama opposed such mandatory purchase requirements.

Download Consumer Watchdog's letter to President-elect Obama opposing the plan: http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/resources/ObamaHealthCareLetter.pdf

The plan would allow insurers to ignore HMO Patients' Bill of Rights laws passed in 44 states. Hardest hit under such an approach would be states like California, New York, Massachusetts, Texas and Virginia, which have adopted more protective standards than other states. These hard-fought protections include a woman's right to visit an OB/GYN, screenings for cervical and prostate cancers, newborn care, mental health care, a right to a second opinion and guarantees of independent medical review if an insurer denies coverage for a medically necessary treatment.

In a detailed letter sent yesterday, Consumer Watchdog urged President-elect Obama to fulfill his campaign pledge to make health care affordable and available by allowing any American to join Medicare, regardless of age. Competition with a low-overhead health insurance alternative provided by Medicare will force private insurers to prove that they can be cost-effective while offering similarly comprehensive coverage. Leveling the playing field between private insurers and the "public option" by req
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