Help me refute my conservative friend's claims?

Hey all... I've been having an on-again, off-again health insurance reform discussion with a friend of mine. He's a nice guy, but conservative, afraid of government takeover of things, etc. I've slowly been getting him to watch some of Obama's speeches, etc., but he still believes that "Obama wants us all on the public plan" and that the current plan "will cause employers to drop private insurance," which would lead to "the government running everything 10 years from now," etc.

What would you say to him? I'm having a hard time refuting him in a logical, well-backed-up kinda way, without it just seeming like a difference of opinions.

I'm also waiting for the full speech from yesterday to be available via OFA, so that I can send that to him.

... then private insurance should become more available on an individual basis. This private insurance would, of course, be competing with any public option available. So, is your conservative friend afraid that the government option will drive private insurers out of the market; i.e. when given the choice, people will choose government insurance? And if they would, does your friend then want to deprive them of this choice?

Ask him why he doesn't want his Insurance Costs to come down. Ask him why if Competition is the answer Insurance costs have been rising at such astronomical rates over the last decade and there is currently competition in the Insurance Industry. If government does such a poor job of distributing it's money to the Hospitals and doctors and nurses, why so many of them want reform. Also if government does such a poor job why worry they will drive Private carriers out of business. People don't want worse service they want better and will migrate toward whichever agency provides that..

he'd be pushing single payer, not a patchwork system that allows us to choose between several for profit plans and one public option."

If he can't grasp that, he's hopeless, a light switch mentality who can see only all or nothing, black or white, on or off.

What happens if you get fired, get laid off, or want to quit? You will get dropped, have to pay the insane rates on the open market, probably get no coverage, and pray to god you were not sick already

What happens if you get sick? They are going to increase your rates, and you won't be able to find another carrier. Every year they will get higher because they know you can't get coverage elsewhere. Then they will stop covering things.

1) employer-provided healthcare impedes the labor mobility a true, free market needs.
2) employer-provided healthcare discourages individual entrepreneurs. You don't strike out on your own if giving up healthcare is part of the cost. Folks without a spouse who provides healthcare can't do this.
3) providing healthcare is a HUGE UN-FUNDED MANDATE on business that makes them less competitive internationally. GM/FORD/CHRYSLER/CAT/ compete with DIAMLER/VW/TOYOTA/KOMATSU that do not have to provide healthcare for their employees.

That won't work, so you could try beer.

That won't work, so just nod as if you agree until they are done and then say, "I'm sorry, did you say something? All I heard was noise."

if we don't get a public option. The CEO's and boards of insurance companies run the companies for what they can get out of them, they don't look past their greed so they will eventually price themselves out of business. I'd rather have the company drop health insurance coverage with a safety net (public option) then without one.

The next step is there will no more family plans, only the employee will be covered. Already we have businesses that require employees with spouses working in public jobs to take those insurance plans or pay through the nose.

You know, the middle man who doesn't actually provide services, but rather bundles them for you.

I don't see why people are clinging to this system.

by taking away the tax breaks for it, thereby throwing everyone onto the individual market.

I believe that the public option would not even be available to larger employers, at least not for several years.

There is absolutely nothing there at all that promotes a public option over private options.

He does realize that his employer already has the option of changing insurance providers, or simply dropping insurance coverage at any time, doesn't he? The only reason why an employer might choose a public option would be if it was much more cost effective than any private options out there. Not likely if private insurance is really as great as he thinks it is. The public option would NOT be subsidised by taxes.

I'm not sure that anything you say can refute him, because most of what these people believe is impervious to evidence.