Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) today made the following statement about the House health care plan on the floor of the House of Representatives: 

“Even though insurance companies make money not providing health care, the so-called reform bill gives so much power and money to the insurance companies that we are giving far too much for the few benefits which the bill may confer.

“The insurance companies get at least another 26 million customers.

“They will receive at least an extra $50 billion in new revenue.

“They will be able to raise premiums 25%, even though in each of the last four consecutive years the industry has raised premiums by double digits.

“As long as there are for-profit health insurance companies, there will be no effective way to protect consumers against ever escalating premiums, co pays and deductibles, unless the insurance companies know that people at a state level will always have a choice to reject the insurance companies and establish a single-payer not-for-profit system.

“That is why the Kucinich Amendment must be put back in the health care bill, not just to protect the rights of states to pursue single payer, but to protect the rights of consumers to be free of the economic death grip of the insurance companies.”