-
Adieu, Adieu, Remember Me
March 25, 2011 | 39 comments
-
DeMint's Defense of RomneyCare is Ignorant...And Dangerous
March 17, 2011 | 85 comments
-
McConnell Pushing Vote to Block the EPA from Regulating Carbon Emissions
March 17, 2011 | 9 comments
-
More Barbour on Afghanistan
March 16, 2011 | 8 comments
-
House Passes Three Week Spending Bill
March 15, 2011 | 8 comments
The Spectacle Blog
Earlier I wrote about the Obama administration's possible backing off of the inclusion of a so-called "public option" in health care legislation. But what's important to emphasize is that even without the creation of a new government plan, we could still be stuck with a government-run health care system. First off, at this point, we don't know how this idea of a non-profit co-op would work -- under some versions, it could easily become a de facto government plan. Even setting that aside, however, the reality is still troubling. The remaining parts of the proposals in Congress would leave us with a system in which government mandates that individuals buy insurance or pay a tax and that employers offer insurance or pay a tax. Then government would have to define what constitutes insurance. Medicaid would be expanded dramatically. The government would be providing subsidies to individuals to purchase insurance, but even if individuals don't qualify for subsidies, at least under the House bill, they would be forced to purchase their insurance from a government-run exchange. And though the policies offered at this exchange would be nominally "private" they would be designed by government bureaucrats. In the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions bill, a new Medical Advisory Council would be tasked with defining “qualifying” coverage; in the House bill, all Americans are required to have coverage that is deemed “acceptable” by a Health Choices Commissioner. No doubt, the creation of a new government-run plan is the easiest way for the country to evolve into a pure single-payer system, but even without one, the proposals being considered would give us a system in which individuals would be forced to purchase government-designed insurance polices from a government store.
View all comments (20) | Leave a comment
Leave a Comment
More Blog Posts by Philip Klein
http://spectator.org/blog/2009/08/17/public-option-or-not-its-still
Follow us:
ADVERTISEMENT
Current Issue
- Republic, Regained
- Down in the Desert
- Mission Implausible
- Digital Subscription (Save 78%)
- Buy a single issue (Save 50%)
- Send Spectator as a gift
Clip of the Day
ADVERTISEMENT
tj| 8.17.09 @ 1:48PM
A rose by any other name?? Michael Tanner of the CATO Institute cautions that opponents of a government-run “public option” should not be fooled by this “compromise.” It’s suggested that these co-ops would be nonprofits, but many insurers are already classified as “nonprofit” companies–including “mutual” insurance companies and groups like Blue Cross. In addition, states already have the power to set up their own health care co-ops and a number already exist. So, if the “new co-ops” are to operate under the same rules as other nonprofit insurers, why bother? Supporters of government-run health care have no intention of letting the co-ops be independent enterprises. In fact, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) makes it clear, for example, that the co-op’s officers and directors would be appointed by the president and Congress. He insists that there be a single national co-op. And Congress would set the rules under which it operates. As Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) says, “It’s got to be written in a way that accomplishes the objectives of a public option.” If a “co-op” is run by the federal government under rules imposed by the federal government with funding provided by the federal government, that is government-run health insurance by another name. Also check the so called "" Stimulous Bill" death panels already installed and in place"" End run around OUR Constitutional Rights!!!! WAKE UP. They really think WE THE PEOPLE are "TUPID"
bobdog| 8.17.09 @ 3:32PM
Of COURSE I'll respect you in the morning.
It's time we reined these big government politicians in. They're going to do whatever they think they can get away with and call it something else.
bensalemite| 8.17.09 @ 4:03PM
Somehting has to be done. My family doctor quit because the practice he was forced to join does not allow patients to see him without an appointment- and you cannot get one for at least two weeks. In other words, see the doc after aren't sick.
Pingback| 8.17.09 @ 5:20PM
IT Corner » Blog Archive » The American Spectator : AmSpecBlog : Public Option or Not links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 8.18.09 @ 2:09AM
Arguing Over the Oddest Things « Just Above Sunset links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 8.18.09 @ 1:04PM
Co-ops are not the answer « Nebraska Redneck links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
nbnv| 5.10.10 @ 5:25AM
M2TS Converter,
M2TS to MPEG Converter
Pingback| 11.13.09 @ 3:36AM
What the Liberal Media Aren't Telling You About Obama's Healthcare Plans | DC SMELL R links to this page. Here’s an excerpt: