I think of the "public option" just like I do medicare.

60 years ago, when medicare was being suggested, the republicans and health care fought hard against it and won. They used fear and catch phrases, like 'socialized medicine', to scare the American public into not supporting it. Sound familiar? It took another twenty years before it finally passed. Yes, TWENTY YEARS.


Now, how many of you actually think that a trigger for medicare in 1965 would have eventually given us medicare like we know it today? Would it exist it all, or would we still be fighting about it?


In 40 years, if the public option passes, will we look back at quotes like the ones above and wonder how stupid people could be to oppose it. Or, will we still be fighting about it, wondering why we didn't get it done when we had the chance?

Passing a very weak public option; not a trigger or co-op, would still be better than no public option at all. The point is to get it passed, weak or not.

Give the haters a new term to chew on while we pass this:

TAKE A STRONG STANCE
Obama cannot be successful if he tries to make everyone happy. The people who need this are the people he needs to make happy, not people who already have health coverage and access to healthcare.

STICK BY IT
Once he clarifies that, what he needs to avoid is backing down. If Kennedy was the lion in the senate, Obama needs to be the lionking in the executive office.

DEFINE YOUR OWN TERMS AND INNOVATE
That means pointedly NOT considering input from anyone who stands to profit from some nuance in his strategy. I think we need this paid as a TAX, or opted out if you have insurance by selecting an extra deduction. If you forget to opt out, you can leverage your annual premiums against the withholding so that it is not a tax on anyone who has private insurance, if they so choose.

The taxable amount is therefore not a "premium" and is not subject to risk pool pricing. If services are used without paying or having private insurance, the entire cost of services is applied directly to your federal tax burden and subject to collection through federal paycheck lien.

MEASURE THE LIFT
We WILL take in more money on the public option than will actually be used the first year, that way. It will force private insurers to compete on premiums with a public option uniform income-scaled paycheck withholding.

Secondly, Obama MUST allow the OMB to negotiate formulary and costs.

MANAGE THE COSTS AND PROVIDE POSITIVE INCENTIVE
On to "managing healthcare costs":

We should guaranty liability insurance for doctors who have a predominantly public-option clientele. We should be willing to forgive guaranteed medical school student loan debt if a doctor goes into primary care and contractually establishes and maintains a predominantly public-option practice for 7 years. (or some number).

We do collective bargaining agreements on clinical supplies and lab work costs. We make medical school accessible to more future doctors. We encourage nurses and PA's to "finish" as MDs, even years into their careers. We use peer review to address costly lab-padding protocols - finding continued billing for unjustified lab procedures to have costs re-assigned to the ordering physician. Peer review makes this fair - and we create those peer reviews the same way we empower jury duty; it's required.

This is what he needs to innovate with.

Tee hee. Stop with the shell game already.

Medicare for All. Period. Fight for that. Settle for Medicare for much more than now, and continue to fight for the rest.

This other bullshit is just smoke and mirrors designed to hide the big penis that is getting ready to fuck you

Why not just say, 'FREE HEALTH CARE FOR ALL'. It would get you just as far.

The public option is not bullshit. It's the only way to get to "medicare for all". It's really sad that you refuse to see that fact.

Not Medicare for all. Thats bullshit. Its a lie and a worthless talking point.

So don't give me this "we can wait 20 years" bullshit. We've already waited 60. The rest of the "civilized" world already has this. There is NO GODDAMN VALID REASON why we do not have it in this country.

Stop making excuses for these corporate fellating cowards.

A true public option is the compromise which allows the criminals to continue to exist, and the opportunity to determine their own fate. We will NOT tolerate any further concessions to these treasonous motherfuckers.

Ram it down their fucking wingnut throats as if you were John Holmes!

One and half minute video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTjAMY6mK5w