We must advocate for a MEANINGFUL, STRONG public option & Single Payer

The hope of Howard Dean is that if the government puts forth a REAL public option, one that allows everyone to enroll, and reduces costs through a much small administrative budget, the groundwork will be laid for single payer. This option would be cheaper, and it work better then the private insurers because the government would be a not for profit system, and it would free precious dollars to go to actual health care.

I view a STRONG public option as an acceptable middle ground at the current time, with the goal of expanding a single payer system to a national level. It is also crucial that the Senate keep the amendment in legislation from the House by Kucinich which allows states to implement single payer on a state level (this is in addition to keep the public option availabe to all on a national level).

Right now, the Public Option stands in real danger of becoming nothing more then a meaningless gesture, one that will only be put through in a diluted and useless form because the politicians (bought by the insurers) and insurance companies realize the severe public political backlash of dismissing a public option entirely. The insurance companies understand that once Americans comprehend fully, the drain and damage private insurers place on the American healthcare system, citizens will no longer tolerate these companies leeching off health care dollars. Thus, their goal is now to weaken the public option to the point, it will offer no signficant improvements over the current private system of health care administration. It will stand to their benefit to allow a toothless public option, so they can point at the new system and say 'SEE, public administered health care doesn't work'.

So how will the insurance companies weaken a public option to the point of being a non-competitive with private insurers...

Already, the House version allows providers to OPT OUT of accepting a public option. That in itself is unacceptable. According to the Congressional Progressive Caucus, this provision alone will cut out 91 billion in savings. This provision is solely in the legislation to so that insurance companies can compete with a public option and continue to profit off human illness. Here is a link to a letter from the Caucus to Nancy Pelosi and there insistence that no further weakening of the bill will be acceptable, if it is to retain their support:

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/documents/2009/07/house-progressives-urge-swift-vote-no-more-concessions-on-health-care.php?page=1

So, right off the bat, the public option is weakened as providers have the option to opt out.

Two other methods to reduce the effectiveness of a public option are restricting the number of people who can enroll in the plan (again, reducing monies to the program and thus reducing negotation and bargaining power) and delaying the implementation of the program to years down the road.

So, we must demand a MEANINGFUL public option, and our support must be conditioned on the inclusion of three basic criteria:

1. It must be available of a national level.
2. It must be implemented immediately
3. It must be subject to oversight by the Congress and the voters (transparency, transparency, transparency)

The single payer advocates have a honest point when they say that a public option may be meaningless reform implemented to fool the masses. A 'let them eat cake' approach to maintain the status quo. And, they will correct, if we do not demand true reform through a REAL public option.

When I call a Congressional office or write a letter or a blog post or talk to friends, I always say that my long term goal is to help promote support for a national single payer plan, and I support a meaningful public option with the above caveats. In the end, we must excise the private health care from profiting off human sickness and suffering. And, the first step in accomplishing that goal is to pass a public insurance option with the ability not only to compete, but to outperform the private companies.