Online at: http://politicalaffairs.net/article/articleview/8491

Public Health Care Option is About Choice

By Joel Wendland
Archives - Dates and Topics 2009 online May 1 – 31, 2009 click here for related stories: your health

5-05-09, 9:53 am

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"Give the American people the choice," said former DNC Chair Howard Dean May 4th during a nationwide online discussion about the need for a public option as part of this year's drive for health care reform. The event, sponsored by Democracy for America and MoveOn.org, was attended by several thousand people and highlighted this week's Senate hearings on health care reform.

"We're not here to debate socialized medicine or single-payer," Dean noted. "All I want is a choice. I want Americans to be able to choose." He pointed out that provided a public option among the choices of health insurance options available to Americans is a essential for meaningful reform.

"If you like what you have, you can keep it," Dean stated. But the choice of which type of insurance people select should not be made by conservative ideologues, industry lobbyists, congressional Republicans or "Blue Dog" Democrats in Washington, the former Vermont governor and Democratic presidential candidate added.

Dean explained that a public plan would be far more efficient for taxpayers because it would not be driven by the need to realize profits for a small group of shareholders, pay high CEO salary and compensation packages or buy expensive advertising campaigns that currently drive up the cost of private insurance.

Recalling his experiences as Vermont governor, Dean added that when his state outsourced its Medicaid program to a private company, the additional costs were so high that the state had to take back the program in order to save taxpayer money.

A public option would be something like providing Americans with the choice of enrolling in Medicare, Dean continued. Medicare beneficiaries like the program because it provides them with real choices about which doctors and specialists to see and hospitals to use. Further, it is far easier to understand and less costly than private insurance plans.

Dean praised President Obama's plan for health care reform and his support for a public option. The final reform package, however, will be driven by political realities in the Senate where a minority of Republicans and a handful of conservative Democrats who are resisting a public option would like to use arcane Senate rules to influence the outcome in favor of industry lobbyists, Dean argued. Public pressure on leading Democrats like Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), who chairs the Senate committee where the health care reform bill is being crafted, and others will be necessary to win meaningful reform, he said.

In a recent telephone conference with reporters Sen. Baucus more or less challenged proponents of the public option to push harder. "I think the stars are finally aligned this year, as compared to past years, to pass meaningful health care reform," Baucus said optimistically.

An apparent bipartisan consensus on some specific reform measures such as the need to modernize records, improve portability of plans, provide affordable and universal coverage and encourage preventative care has been motivated by public dismay over high costs of insurance and the fact that about 52 million Americans lack coverage, Baucus said.

Differences persist over how to guarantee universal coverage, however.

According to Baucus, a public option for health care insurance is an 800-pound gorilla in the room. While "everything is on the table," he added, a public option "is a little over on the side of the table." Political momentum on other reform proposals is needed first, he said. A reform proposal that includes a public option could probably pass in the House, he suggested, but it may be more difficult in the Senate and may require the reconciliation process that prevents a Republican filibuster.

Baucus stated that he would like to try to achieve a bipartisan consensus on reform first, before going down that route.

In a statement this week, the AFL-CIO praised Baucus' efforts on the health care issue and pledged the union's political action on the health care debate. “Senators Baucus and Grassley have answered President Obama’s call to pass health care reform in 2009 by putting their committee to work,” said AFL-CIO President John Sweeney. “This report is a milestone on the road to achieving guaranteed affordable quality health care for all of us.”

Newly released reports from the Center for American Progress Action Fund, reveal that about three in five Americans fear that the recession may cause them to lose their health insurance and for that reason a universal program is necessary. Since 2007 the number of the uninsured in the country has risen to an estimated 52 million people and the total rate of uninsured has risen from 13 percent to 19 percent, the reports found. In addition, employment does not guarantee insurance coverage as 65 percent of uninsured adults in the US currently have jobs.

Readers can join 300,000 Americans who have expressed support for a public health care choice by signing a petition at StandWithDrDean.org.


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