Author Jacob Hacker Finds Public Plan Vital to Controlling Costs, Improving Quality as Health Care Reform Debate Centers on Public Insurance Choice

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Pete Stark, D-Calif., and Liz Fowler, senior counsel to Sen. Max Baucus, will join health care expert and U.C. Berkeley professor Jacob Hacker and Institute for America's Future co-director Roger Hickey on a conference call with reporters on Wednesday to release a new report that shows that a public insurance option is a critical element of President-elect Obama's health care reforms.

With the insurance industry opposing key elements of reform embraced by President-elect Obama, his health care point person Tom Daschle and Senate Finance Committee chairman Sen. Max Baucus, the new report shows that a public insurance option is crucial to controlling health care costs and achieving quality coverage.

NEWS TELECONFERENCE TO RELEASE A

NEW REPORT ON PUBLIC HEALTH INSURANCE

DATE: Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2008

TIME: 11 a.m. ET (8 a.m. PT)

CALL-IN: 866-316-1366, code 4839124

PARTICIPANTS:

Roger Hickey, co-dir., Institute for America's Future

Rep. Pete Stark, D-Calif., chair, House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee

Jacob Hacker, co-dir., U.C. Berkeley School of Law Center on Health, Economic and Family Security

Liz Fowler, sr. counsel, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., and author of recent Baucus health white paper

SOURCE Institute for America's Future