Secrets of the City

If they’re basing their conclusion on that small quote, I’m not sure he said that.

Kline: ““Because it is cheaper and designed to save money, (a) government run program has some clear advantages,” ”

Uhm, that’s the whole damn point of health care reform: To get costs under control.

I suppose it is, but I think they’re spinning his remarks. He also said, “he fears that it could drive private insurance companies out of business and lead to an eventual single payer plan.”

And the problem?

He otherwise usually says Gov’t is incompetent, can’t control it’s spending, can’t do anything right or efficiently, etc.

If that’s so, than the insurance companies don’t have anything to worry about, because people won’t choose the public option if it doesn’t perform well.

If not, than the competition will be good for the consumer.

I don’t know that the insurance companies have anything to worry about.

But the whole knock on this that many companies are anxious to dump expensive insurance plans and they’ll dump people into this.

“And the problem?”

As a concept, if you have no problem with government running private companies out of business, then there isn’t one.

I don’t have a clear-cut answer for this. I so happy for our insurance plan my wife gets through the company. I don’t see that changing, but I’ve seen a lot of thing I never thought I’d see.

@Rat: Singapore solved a similar problem by establishing a two-tier program. Every citizen, regardless of income, has health care coverage but those who would want, say, a private hospital room instead of sharing can supplement their coverage with a private plan or pay out of their own pocket.

This snarky Fark headline says it all:

Public health insurance option would destroy private insurance, just like Social Security annihilated private pensions and FHA vanquished private mortgate lenders

I really don’t think private insurance should have any worries. Right now, as it is, they almost act in concert as a monopoly and people have no other recourse no matter how high the rates get jacked every year.

In Canada a good number of the people with good jobs have private insurance and use that instead of government insurance. Government insurance is there for people who don’t have access to or don’t want the private insurance. Government insurance isn’t better than private insurance but it’s far, far, far superior to no insurance. Private insurance will be fine. There are plenty who will pay for it if they can. I would (if they’d give it to me).