Monday, June 29, 2009
Public Option
So, it seems that the big divide right now in the battle over health care reform is between those who want a public option and those who do not. I think I really must be missing something. It seems to me that those who oppose a public option essentially oppose it because it would drive down costs of insurance coverage, and hopefully health care itself. So I guess my question is: unless you own an insurance company, what's so bad about that? I suppose it might lead to some job loss (that could probably be atoned for by the increase in public sector jobs and revenue), but when you balance that against the absolute necessity of doing something to combat rising costs and the ever-increasing bankruptcies due to medical emergencies, I really can't understand what motive the Republicans have to oppose this, apart from wanting campaign contributions from the insurance companies...
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entirely right...except for the part about lowering the cost of health insurance. A government plan backed by the power to tax cannot be "in competition" with private plans in a meaningful sense. Yes, many employers will dump their employees into the government plan, especially their higher risk/cost employees. Despite having a more expensive pool of insured, the government plan will, through its power to tax and spend, keep the PRICE of its plan lower than that of remaining private plans. Of course, the COST of the government plan will be much greater for the above mentioned reasons. In the meanwhile, government will continue to impose more coverage requirements on private plans as the years go by, which has been the trend forever.
Ultimately, there is no serious way to reduce health care costs without reducing outlays on treatment. All the other fixes are smoke and mirrors. Who will decide what coverages you are eligible for? When you have only one insurer to choose from, you can guess who.
Whether or not the current plan is passed, something like it becoming law is inevitable. In the end, you'll get a two-tiered system - one for those smart enough to earn what it takes to escape the system, and one for the saps who think their health care costs can be borne by someone else indefinitely. It's time to figure out how to be in the latter group.
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