Politically Correct: The public option

Ben: Most Americans don't choose their insurance plans. I have seen this line (if you like your current insurance, you can keep it) repeated many times. We have an employer-based system. The idea that people will lose their employer-based coverage isn't based on conjecture. Given the option between a tax + dumping their employees into the government-run plan and paying for their employees' health insurance, many companies will choose the tax. This means that the company has to spend less per employee and can now get backed up by the taxpayer.

The government run option is "merely a new player?" In order to fairly boost competition in any venue, all players must be operating under the same set of rules. How would a high school basketball team compete against the Jayhawks + steroids? How can insurance companies possibly compete with an organization that is subsidized by an outside source like tax dollars and run by the people who make the rules?

Dan: To get more people in our age group insured, we must give them incentive to do so. A huge proportion of uninsured young people (around half depending on who you talk to) are uninsured by choice. Take away state-government mandated provisions to plans and the cost of plans will go down by 20-30%. Allow the purchase of plans across state lines and costs will go down further. Take away the federal tax on individual, customized plans and people will be able to purchase their own plans rather than relying on employers.

We are the cheapest group of individuals in the country when it comes to health insurance. Teaching people the benefits of purchasing it and allowing plans that are not too expensive is the way to winning a huge portion of the battle.

Most insured people are satisfied with their health insurance. Let's not punish them for the sake of the 10 million or so who truly can't afford to purchase insurance and instead find a way to insure these people that doesn't interfere with the general population's plans.

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• Posted by connerm on October 27, 2009 at 10:24 a.m.
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Politically Correct: The public option

Chet, strawman much?

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• Posted by hooligan on October 27, 2009 at 10:33 a.m.
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Politically Correct: The public option

Mr. Compton, simply put, there is no evidence for your claims about what might happen in the future, if a public option is passed. Also, "our government has proven it can't even run a railroad?" Really, that argument? And the insurance have proven they're purely profit-driven. Honestly, if I have to buy my own insurance I'd rather purchase it through a non-profit insurer that is legally bound to cover me despite any "pre-existing conditions" and all that other bullcrap that insurers screw people over concerning. There is no evidence to support your claim about "the rationing of care". Health care rationing doesn't exist even in countries with a single-payer system, like Canada, or those with socialized medicine, like the UK. And the public option is a far more free-market option than either of those. You sound like the Investor's Business Daily editorial that claimed a disabled genius like Stephen Hawking would never have been let live in a system of socialized medicine....despite the fact that Stephen Hawking was born and has lived his whole life in the UK, and receives his health care through the NHS. I'll believe the $1 trillion claim when it comes from the CBO.

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• Posted by dlowell on October 27, 2009 at 11:49 a.m.
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Politically Correct: The public option

dlowell: "There is no evidence to support your claim about 'the rationing of care'".

There are already two government operated health programs. These programs have been long standing and are called Medicare and Medicaid. I'm not sure if you've heard about it but there have been major cutbacks in both programs. Even after having initiated Medicare Part D and allowing the elderly access to prescription medications the coverage of both programs is shrinking. Medications and services covered have been refined and whittled down, reimbursement to health care professionals has been cut back, and the premiums the elderly must pay have risen. All of this has occurred because the government is unable to properly fund the two programs.

And that's just for the elderly...well Medicaid isn't just for the elderly... My point is that our government can't run these programs without cutting back on coverage (ie 'rationing of care') due to lack of funds. How is it that our government is going to be able to properly fund a public option? Tell me, honestly, how the 'public option' will end up any different than Medicare and Medicaid? Sure it may run well for a little while but in the end there's going to be cutbacks in coverage, reimbursement, and an increase in annual premiums.

I'm sorry dlowell, but a 'rationing of care' is very likely to happen here.

This is not to say, however, that the private insurance companies are saints. No, no. Not by any means are they even close to being what someone might consider 'good' corporations. Private insurance companies have been paying their top dogs millions upon millions while dumping patients and services covered. While it would be a slap in the face of capitalism, I almost (almost...but not quite yet) feel like there need to be salary caps on the CEO's of today. As they have demonstrated a complete lack of control of their companies' budgets and fiscal responsibilities and simply want nothing other than to please themselves.

I do not agree with the public option on the basis of the fiscal obligation it will create. Instead maybe we should target drug companies and their high prices for new meds? Maybe we should target the outrageous salaries of the insurance CEO's and recirculate that money into the insurance thereby decreasing premiums or allowing more services to be covered? Maybe we could invest in revamping 'the system' and drop all the abusers who use the system because they are too lazy to try to make on their own?

I don't know what the exact answer will be or could be. I just think the public option is bound to fail and will drive the deficit further into the ground.

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• Posted by Dan on October 27, 2009 at 1:45 p.m.
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Politically Correct: The public option

I say we put Mike and Chet on the debate team. We're sure to win.

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• Posted by pantheon on October 27, 2009 at 3:54 p.m.
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Politically Correct: The public option

My bad, I don't have time for an extended analysis.

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• Posted by hooligan on October 27, 2009 at 9:25 p.m.
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