Statement by Blue Shield of California Chairman & CEO Bruce Bodaken Regarding House Passage of the Health Reform Bill

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Mar 22, 2010, 02:14 ET

SAN FRANCISCO, March 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following statement by Blue Shield of California Chairman & CEO Bruce Bodaken was released today:

"In 2002, not-for-profit Blue Shield of California became the first health plan in the country to advocate for a universal healthcare system that would guarantee every American access to coverage regardless of pre-existing conditions. We proposed a system that shared responsibility for coverage among individuals, businesses and the government and that provided subsidies to individuals who could not afford to purchase coverage on their own.

"The bill enacted yesterday by the House of Representatives achieves these fundamental reforms and we are pleased that this step has been taken. We urge Congress to take additional steps to improve upon this foundation by broadening the financing, creating further incentives for individuals to take coverage and strengthening measures to control cost. We will continue our work to ensure that every American has coverage and to make that coverage more affordable. We look forward to collaborating with legislators, regulators and all other interested parties who share those goals."