Statement By 60 Plus Association President Jim Martin

Arlington, VA – “U.S. Congressman John Shadegg (R-AZ) has introduced legislation called the Health Care Choice Act.

The White House noted in a statement: ‘The Administration appreciates Congressman Shadegg’s commitment to expanding access to affordable health care and is supportive of his work to lower health care costs by allowing individual Americans more power to select affordable health coverage that best suits their needs.’

We at the 60 Plus Association couldn’t agree more!

Millions of Americans lack health insurance, so many because of high costs and the daunting array of state regulations that prove cumbersome and confusing. Many of these Americans are the working poor and seniors on fixed incomes.

But this new proposal from Congressman Shadegg will help consumers by giving them the ability to purchase an affordable health insurance policy with a range of options. It will allow consumers to shop for health insurance just like they do for other insurance products – by mail, over the phone, on-line or in consultation with an insurance agent in their hometown.

Most importantly — and this is key — consumers will no longer be limited to picking only policies available in their hometown or even in their state. Instead, they will be able to examine the wide array of insurance policies offered in multiple states. They can then choose the policy that best suits their needs, and their budget.

This is a super idea that in this day of the Internet, Amazon and eBay holds such promise for better, more convenient ways to shop around for health care that best fits individual needs.

The 60 Plus Association, with more than1,500 seniors in the Congressman’s Arizona district, says ‘Bully, Mr. Shadegg!’ And on behalf of nearly 5 million senior citizens that 60 Plus relies on all across the country, I congratulate Congressman Shadegg for his leadership.”

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