Dear Ms. Rhoads:

Thank you for writing me regarding the Senate's work to reform our health care system. It is good to hear from you.

There is no question that reforming health care is one of the most critical challenges facing our country.   We know the status quo is not working and as a result, doing nothing is not an option. Too many people have no health insurance, or find that their health care coverage does not cover them when they need it. 

Health care reform should strive to ensure that affordable, high-quality, and meaningful health coverage options are available to all Americans.  We need to actively focus on keeping people healthy, not just help people when they are sick.

Recently, I joined with my colleagues on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, of which I am a senior member, to introduce the "Affordable Healthy Choices Act."  This legislation reduces health care costs, allows Americans to keep the coverage they have if they want it, and makes health insurance affordable to those who do not have it today.

I am particularly proud that as we work to offer quality, affordable coverage to all Americans, that we have included provisions to support programs that would increase the number of Americans going into health care professions to ensure our system has enough workers to provide much needed care. We still have work to do, but this bill is a good step forward on protecting patient choice, lowering costs and providing coverage for the millions of Americans who currently have none.

The legislation will soon be considered by the HELP Committee. As we move forward on this legislation, I will certainly keep your thoughts in mind. 

Again, thank you for contacting me about this important issue. If you would like to know more about my work in the Senate, please feel free to sign up for my weekly updates at http://murray.senate.gov/updates. Please keep in touch.

I hope all is well in Fruitland.