Health reform proponents rally at Cigna

Advocates are continuing their fight for a public insurance plan as part of health-care reform. Tuesday’s rally that was staged on the front steps of one of the nation’s major health insurance companies that is headquartered in Philadelphia.

Advocates are continuing their fight for a public insurance plan as part of health-care reform. Tuesday’s rally that was staged on the front steps of one of the nation’s major health insurance companies that is headquartered in Philadelphia.

Listen:
[audio: 090922tmrally.mp3]

A delegation from a City Hall rally walked the two blocks to Cigna’s national headquarters to deliver their demands, including that insurance companies call off their lobbyists. They say those lobbyists are trying to twist the health-care reform bill to benefit insurance companies.

Jeff Blum is Co-Chair of Healthcare for America Now. He says publicly-financed health care works in other countries.

Blum: every other industrialized country in the world spends less on healthcare has longer lives.

Cigna officials greeted the delegation. Christopher Curran is a spokesman for Cigna. He says the insurance industry wants health-care reform.

Curran: I think we share a lot of the same missions, we just don’t feel there’s a need for a public option.

Both sides continue to stand their ground on the issue.