Don't know if this was posted...but...
Why We're Breaking With the Blue Dogs on the Public Option[/b>
public insurance option a concept we think must be part of a successful health care reform package.
Far from being an option of last resort or a government-funded takeover of the country's health care system, we see the public option as a critical market mechanism that will drive down costs, foster competition and expand Americans' insurance choices.
This is not just smart health care policy, it is smart economic policy.
A Gallup-Healthways survey has identified more than 290,000 uninsured people in our congressional districts alone. This is astonishing, and, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, their medical care cost local hospitals and other health care providers $65 million last year.
<<snip>>
In August it happened to Rep. Harman's 27-year-old son, who was dropped from his insurance after suffering a torn eardrum.
He's not alone. According to a recent report by the Treasury Department, without health care reform, nearly half of all Americans under 65 will lose their coverage at some point over the next 10 years. Additionally, health care spending in the United States will go from $1 out of every $6 spent to $1 of every $5 in the next decade.
The shoe hurts when it's on the other foot. I wonder where Harman would have stood if her son wasn't dropped, she probably would have said the PO doesn't drive down costs. But once it happens to you or your family then you really understand the dillema that the American people face. Keep in mind I wouldn't wish stuff like this upon my worst enemy, however I've come to realize that when one experiences something it changes ones perspective. I would have to say that if our Reps were getting the horror stories from their own families they would be quick to support the public option.
**As a note to Yoko lovers, I realize it's subjective as to who broke up the Beatles. I don't really care that much since I'm not a fan of their music (I like Led Zeppelin and The Doors best), secondly it was way before my time. Added to that I like John's solo career, more----okay I like the Sgt. Pepper album. :D