Around 50 people gathered Thursday afternoon at Sen. Patty Murray’s district office in Bellevue to rally for health care reform and a “strong public health-insurance option.”

The group also delivered petitions from the progressive political action group MoveOn urging Congress and President Obama to pass legislation that would make such a plan possible.

“There’s 50 million people in this country without health insurance,” said Bellevue resident Becky Lewis, who said she favors a single-payer public option. “This is important.”

Similar demonstrations to the one in Bellevue took place the same day in around 150 communities as part of Public Option Now Health Care rallies

At least a half dozen people shared stories about how the existing health-care system has affected them and why they think a robust public plan is critical.

Joe Groussman, a 62-year-old cancer survivor and diabetic from Issaquah, explained how he lost his job as a program manager and now has to pay $440 a month for COBRA health insurance, as well as over $200 every three months for prescriptions.

Groussman, 62, said those costs have eaten away at his individual retirement account.

“It’s exhausted,” he said.