So the GOP leadership has come out with their response to the public option plan that Obama and the Democrats suggested but may not have 60 votes in the Senate for.
The GOP plan is based on pooling. They talk about "reforming Medicaid and SCHIP" but since they opposed both plans establishment in the first place, I doubt they'd reform them by expanding them. In a comment to an earlier thread, Dr. Strangelove was kind enough to post a link to a study done by the Rand Corporation (a non-partisan think tank that does excellent work). If we look at that table, the pooling plan the Republicans are pushing will only improve one area - patient experience. It will difficult to implement and will not solve any other problem. This is a plan for people who think there really isn't a problem.
Meanwhile the Democrats are talking about doing things like expanding medicaid and SCHIP eligibility (both are "public options"). These plans would, according to the Rand study, decrease patient financial risk, improve health and improve coverage and it would be easy to implement. All this without any obviously negative consequences. The draw back that Rand doesn't mention is that it would cost a lot of public money. But when you look at how much we are paying to private insurance companies now, it's not so much an additional cost to us as a shift in who we pay it to.
What do the Citizens think?
2 comments:
JUST and FYI: From work, I can comment, but I can't post. I'm blocked from logging in. So I may be asking my blog mates to help me out.
I think we have to come up with some solution, even if it is just a 75% solution. The bottom line is that everyone knows that we have to do something and we have to do it fast. But no one wants to change. No one wants to take the risk. Sticker shock was always going to be a problem. But we have to re-prioritize in this country as our needs are changing. Boomers are aging, and they don't have cash now. I am not thrilled at the prospect of loosing my tax benefit from my employer insurance. But if I get a non-employer option out of the change, it would be better for me in the long run. Then I could change jobs, move out of the area, etc. with much greater ease. As it is now, we are not free anymore to choose things. We are locked into getting by. That isn't what we are supposed to be about.
The GOP loves the status quo. That is what most conservatives like. They do well under the status quo because they set it up for themselves. Screw everyone else. But now I just vent. I'll stop here.
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