Sacramento, CA – Steve Burd, CEO of Safeway Inc. and chairman of the Coalition to Advance Healthcare Reform (CAHR) issued the following statement today urging all interested parties to recommit to achieving healthcare reform this year:
"California has a historic opportunity to achieve healthcare reform that provides affordable coverage for every Californian and brings rising costs under control.
"Now is the time for continued dialogue and cooperation to complete the hard work ahead. Our coalition strongly urges all interested parties to constructively work together so this opportunity doesn’t pass and recommit to achieve meaningful healthcare reform through the Special Session until that goal is reached.
"The healthcare crisis this state faces is not going away and every Californian stands to benefit if reform is achieved this year.”
CAHR is an active, working coalition of more than 50 like-minded business leaders and companies who believe now is the time for action to solve the nation’s healthcare crisis. CAHR members are committed to solving the healthcare crisis by advancing a set of five core principles as the basis to guide and shape state and federal policies. Specifically, the coalition believes the foundation of any reform must be based on the following: Market-Based Healthcare System; Universal Coverage with Individual Responsibility; Financial Assistance for Low-Income Individuals; Healthier Behavior and Incentives; and Equal Tax Treatment. The coalition is dedicated to engaging in a meaningful way to advocate comprehensive market-based healthcare reforms at both the federal and state level to achieve coverage for all Americans.
For more information regarding CAHR, visit
coalition4healthcare.org .
- 30 -
