Similar to an effort in the U.S. House last month, a Colorado senator is seeking the signatures of his colleagues to urge inclusion of a public health insurance option in comprehensive federal health reform.

Michael Bennet

Last month, Reps. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) and Jared Polis (D-Colo.) began a petition to include the public option under budget reconciliation rules, requiring only 51 votes in the U.S. Senate to pass reform measure, rather than 60 votes to pass a health reform bill as is.

Now, Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) is trying the same approach, authoring a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), citing four key reasons: billions in cost savings, the need to increase health insurance competition, the history of using reconciliation to pass health care legislation and continued public support for an alternative to private health insurance.

The Senate bypassed inclusion of a public option in their health reform bill, choosing instead to expand Medicare to help decrease the number of uninsured Americans.

“Too many people in Washington believe that just saying you are for health care reform is a substitute for actually getting something done,” said Bennet in a statement. “While some choose to stall progress under the pretext of principle, more and more Americans are losing the health care coverage they need.”

Bennet has already secured the support of fellow Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), as well as more than 8,400 people who signed online through an accompanying website.

“Although we strongly support the important reforms made by the Senate-passed health reform package, including a strong public option would improve both its substance and the public’s perception of it,” Bennet said in his letter to Reid. “The Senate has an obligation to reform our unworkable health insurance market – both to reduce costs and to give consumers more choices. A strong public option is the best way to deliver on both of these goals, and we urge its consideration under reconciliation rules.”