Can Republicans Scare The Public Away From The Public Option?
Can Republicans Scare The Public Away From The Public Option?
Ezra Klein points out that the public, in two successive polls now, strongly supports a public health insurance option and over at ThinkProgress, Matt Corley debunks the conservative myth that bipartisan health care reform must protect the private insurer’s monopoly for covering Americans under 65:
By claiming that a public option would destroy bipartisanship, Grassley is ignoring the preferences of a strong majority of Americans. Earlier this week, a New York Times/CBS News poll found that a public health insurance option (which would lower costs and improve quality) is supported by 72 percent of Americans, including 50 percent of Republicans. Additionally, Grassley’s antipathy to a public plan flies in the face of his own constituents. In May, the Des Moines Register Iowa Poll found that 56 percent of Iowans support a public plan.
Republicans have staked their entire opposition to health care reform on attacking and mischaracterizing one of the most popular aspects of health care reform. Sounds odd until you consider that the same NYT-CBS News poll that found that 72 percent supported a public option, also concluded that” two thirds are concerned their own health care will get worse if the government creates a system to provide health care to all Americans.”
So their argument goes something like this: pass a public option, employers will drop coverage, and Americans will be stuck with an inferior public plan. Their latest claim that President Obama has reneged on his pledge to allow Americans to keep their existing health coverage, strikes at this very vulnerability.
It’s worth pointing out, however, that the public plan, along with all of the other private plans in the Exchange, would have to offer comprehensive benefit packages that provided quality care at affordable rates. Secondly, progressives are not interested in dismantling the employer system. From a logistical point of view and to those concerned about continuity of care, moving the 160 million Americans who receive employer-sponsored benefits into new plans would be a costly nightmare. The idea is to build on the employer sponsored system and achieve coverage through shared responsibility. That way, you preserve the employer contribution, an important source of funding health care reform, and allow Americans to say in their current plans.
The goal is to reduce immediate shifts but still preserve choice. For this reason, the House Tri Committee health care bill phases in participation in the Exchange when it goes into operation in 2013:
- Individuals and employers with 10 or fewer employees in 2013
- Individuals and employers with 20 or fewer employees in 2014
- Individuals and employers with more than 20 employees in 2015
3 Responses to “Can Republicans Scare The Public Away From The Public Option?”
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Repugnicants and Blue Dogs stand hand in hand, backing their for-profit health care corporate sponsors:
Chucky’s partner, Max Baucus, is just as bad:
http://stateofthedivision.blogspot.com/2009/06/southern-governors-go-south-to-buenos.html
The White House caved yesterday with its shift in language:
http://stateofthedivision.blogspot.com/2009/06/obama-led-democrats-plan-to-cave.html
June 24th, 2009 at 1:08 pmWhile “progressives are not interested in dismantling the employer system,” the Chamber of Commerce wants to dump that pesky health insurance onto the employee.
The boiled frog approach can be seen in the shift from defined benefit pension plans to 401(k)’s and 403(b)’s. When times got tough, employers dropped the match.
The Democrat/Republican/Obama plan will grease the skids for this transfer of responsibility. It will be slow and gradual so as not to upset the masses.
June 24th, 2009 at 1:11 pmAMERICA’S NATIONAL HEALTHCARE EMERGENCY!
It’s official. America and the World are now in a GLOBAL PANDEMIC. A World EPIDEMIC with potential catastrophic consequences for ALL of the American people. The first PANDEMIC in 41 years. And WE THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES will have to face this PANDEMIC with the 37th worst quality of healthcare in the developed World.
STAND READY AMERICA TO SEIZE CONTROL OF YOUR NATIONAL HEALTHCARE SYSTEM.
We spend over twice as much of our GDP on healthcare as any other country in the World. And Individual American spend about ten times as much out of pocket on healthcare as any other people in the World. All because of GREED! And the PRIVATE FOR PROFIT healthcare system in America.
And while all this is going on, some members of congress seem mostly concern about how to protect the corporate PROFITS! of our GREED DRIVEN, PRIVATE FOR PROFIT NATIONAL DISGRACE. A PRIVATE FOR PROFIT DISGRACE that is in fact, totally valueless to the public health. And a detriment to national security, public safety, and the public health.
Progressive democrats the Tri-Caucus and others should stand firm in their demand for a robust public option for all Americans, with all of the minimum requirements progressive democrats demanded. If congress can not pass a robust public option with at least 51 votes and all robust minimum requirements, congress should immediately move to scrap healthcare reform and request that President Obama declare a state of NATIONAL HEALTHCARE EMERGENCY! Seizing and replacing all PRIVATE FOR PROFIT health insurance plans with the immediate implementation of National Healthcare for all Americans under the provisions of HR676 (A Single-payer National Healthcare Plan For All).
Coverage can begin immediately through our current medicare system. With immediate expansion through recruitment of displaced workers from the canceled private sector insurance industry. Funding can also begin immediately by substitution of payroll deductions for private insurance plans with payroll deductions for the national healthcare plan. This is what the vast majority of the American people want. And this is what all objective experts unanimously agree would be the best, and most cost effective for the American people and our economy.
In Mexico on average people who received medical care for A-H1N1 (Swine Flu) with in 3 days survived. People who did not receive medical care until 7 days or more died. This has been the same results in the US. But 50 million Americans don’t even have any healthcare coverage. And at least 200 million of you with insurance could not get in to see your private insurance plans doctors in 2 or 3 days, even if your life depended on it. WHICH IT DOES!
If President Obama has to declare a NATIONAL STATE OF EMERGENCY to rescue the American people from our healthcare crisis, he will need all the sustained support you can give him. STICK WITH HIM! He’s doing a brilliant job.
THIS IS THE BIG ONE!
THE BATTLE OF GOOD Vs EVIL!
Join the fight.
Contact congress and your representatives NOW! AND SPREAD THE WORD!
God Bless You
Jacksmith – WORKING CLASS
June 29th, 2009 at 11:28 am