In an open letter to President Obama, a coalition of HIV/AIDS advocates are pushing for health care reforms that will expand Medicaid, provide a strong public insurance option and make private insurance more affordable.

The letter, from the HIV Health Care Access Working Group, a coalition of 84 national and community-based AIDS service organizations, also asks the president to strengthen HIV-prevention programs "to secure meaningful reform of our health care system."

HIV/AIDS advocates have been vocal nationwide, claiming that the needs of their constituencies have gone unaddressed in the ongoing discussions around the health care reform package.

A controversial provision of the proposal centers on the public insurance option, which would allow the government to offer health care packages that rival those offered by private insurers.

This week, the Senate Finance Committee rejected an amendment to include the public insurance option, which is favored by progressives but not conservatives.

A strong national public insurance option "would ensure the establishment of comprehensive standards for benefits and affordability across state lines," states the HIV/AIDS advocate letter.