PUBLIC OPTION

House Dems Propose Public Health Care Option to Reduce Deficit

Supporters say it would save the country more than $100 billion over 10 years

Jan 16, 2013 by Lisa Fine

Staff Writer t

House Democrats have introduced a bill that would give consumers the option to buy a government-run health insurance plan under Obamacare.

Supporters point out it could save more than $100 billion over 10 years at a time when lawmakers are looking for ways to trim the deficit. The idea was discussed during the contentious debate in Congress over President Barack Obama's health reform law but died after strong pushback from the health insurance industry and conservative lawmakers.

The government-run option would compete with private insurance plans in the Obamacare health insurance exchanges -- online marketplaces like Expedia or Travelocity where multiple health insurers will offer a range of standardized benefit plans at varying price levels.

The public option could reduce health care costs by stimulating competition with private insurers and paying providers at Medicare rates. A version of the public option plan tied to Medicare rates could save $110 billion over a decade, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, according to Huffington Post.

Via Talking Points Memo and Huffington Post

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Comments (view in Forum)

Jan '13

DARSB

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Look, Medicare For Everybody already. Just do it.
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Jan '13

jessejaymes

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Absolutely. Just do it. Let's just find out who is right here.
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Jan '13

mtkopf

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@jessejaymes once again lobbyists bribing...er...convincing elected officials of the $trength$ of their argument.
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Post @mtkopf
Jan '13

jessejaymes

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@mtkopf This can't possibly be as expensive as private health care. No CEO's making 50 million a year. No shareholders expecting a 20% return every year.
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Jan '13

mtkopf

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@jessejaymes I agree. But, fgrom what ppl tell me here affordable healthcare to the masses is the first step in our path to socialism. And seeing as everything on the internet is true...
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Post @mtkopf
Jan '13
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Jan '13

Your_Name_Here

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Any thoughts on regulation medical costs?
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Jan '13

PoliticalSpice

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I have three thoughts on the proposed public option: Yes, yes and yes. Give me a choice. All those free market plans can compete. I want that choice.
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Jan '13

JustTheFacts

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... finally someone addresses the real problem! We don't need more lame ass insurance options ... just stop the healthcare industry from abusing the system!$1,000 toothbrush,$140 tylenol tablet,$23 alcohol prep pad, etc. It's amazes the shit out of me when this kind of fraud goes on and if it's a hospital doing it well it's just considered a billing error but if anyone tries to pull this shit ... it's FRAUD and they get their ass throw into a jail cell!

I can't count the number of times I've paid my hospital bill in cash only to find out that they were also trying to double bill my insurance even though I never gave them my insurance information ... wondering how they even got that information to begin with!!!
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Jan '13

Your_Name_Here

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@JustTheFacts So you have a problem with $140 Tylenol? Who do you think is going to pay for those drug company commercials with the 30-minute drug reaction and side-effect dissertations?

Here's a fact - my uncle was in the hospital and one day his doctor was walking down the hall, stuck his head in the door and ask my uncle how he was doing. No exam, no BP or anything, just "How are you doing?" The hospital bill reflected a charge of $225 for that 10 seconds. Unc disputed it and they just took it off without question BUT, you wonder how many of those charges make it through.

I think charges really need to be standardized and published, same price for cash or insurance.
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Post @Your_Name_Here
Jan '13

PNWest

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This is the way that most western democracies do it. They pay much less than we do and have higher life expectancies. This should be a no brainer.
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Jan '13

Realthinker

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I learned years ago never to believe what any government office claims about cost savings. It is always wrong. Always.
- B4 • Vote Up r12 Replies
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Jan '13

PoliticalSpice

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I could care less about the cost savings aspect. I want a public option. It will certianly be better then my private insurance. If not I can keep or switch back to the private plan.
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Jan '13

Realthinker

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@PoliticalSpice Wow. I never want my health insurance in the hands of the same people who have mucked up the Post Office or run the BMV. No thanks.
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Post @Realthinker
Jan '13

PoliticalSpice

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@Realthinker That is your prerogative. I would like to have my insurance in the hands of the people who manage medicare, as most people on medicate tell me they are very happy with it. And I do not like my private insurance company and until obamacare rules in 2014 take effect I am forced to stick with them due to pre- existing condisions.
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Jan '13

Realthinker

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@PoliticalSpice My husband and I have pre-existing conditions too and we have never encountered a problem. There was no problem when he was forced to find a different job 4 years ago, and there wasn't a problem when his current employer changed plans last year. Very specifically, he had open heart surgery while he was between jobs and COBRA paid it all. I believe there are some people who have trouble getting coverage but the problem is not nearly as bad as the media would have us believe. I really hate the way the public is manipulated by lies.
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Post @Realthinker
Jan '13

PoliticalSpice

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@Realthinker Well I teally hate the way kaiser refused to takey application when I told them the condisions I have which are three very common problems that usually occur in combination. I hate the way my insurer decides i cannot renew my perscription early unless i go through a hell of phone calls, and the way they switched me from a copay to a percentage pay and thereby raised the cost. Corba, by the way, is not something everyone has access to. So perhaps your insurance coverage is better then
Mine, but I was not able to swiych. I petsonally favor single payor, but public option gives you the option of staying with the company you choose, how fair is it that I be denied the option I want?
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Jan '13

Raptor

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Common sense out of congress??? Am I dreaming????
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Jan '13

thejimbo

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*slaps himself awake*
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Jan '13

Denizen_Kate

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Isn't this what most of us wanted all along, an OPTION to buy into Medicare, without waiting until age 66? I never understood how the insurance industry (the bottom-feeders of the universe) managed to convince so many people that this was going to damage their own existing health care options in some way. And I'll never forgive the spinelessness of the Democrats who had a majority in the House and Senate at that time, yet allowed their votes to be swayed by the screamers on the right. Too busy doing what they thought they needed to do to keep their jobs instead of actually DOING their jobs! smh ...
- B8 • Vote Up r27 Replies
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Jan '13

jessejaymes

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The right wingers are commies. They don't support competition or choice. Only their way or the highway. Love it or leave it. They'll get riled on this one. Morons.
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Post @jessejaymes
Jan '13

PNWest

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This is exactly what the majority of Americans wanted. Obama could have pushed harder for this but this was in his "post-partisan" period when he actually thought he could reason and compromise with the republicans. A very big mistake on Obama's part that cost the democrats the house in 2010. That plus a number of democratic representatives and senators stood up for the insurance companies. Obamacare could have been much better. Hopefully we'll improve it this time around.
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Jan '13

mtkopf

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@PNWest as much as I would love to see it happen, I don't think it will. The insurance industry is throwing ad much money around right now as the gun manufacturers... er... I mean the NRA. There is no one in Congress who actually fights for regular ppl anymore.

Sorry just very pessimistic mood today.
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Jan '13

Denizen_Kate

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@mtkopf - A pessimist is just an optimist with experience. :)
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Jan '13

mtkopf

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@Denizen_Kate or a guy who is married.
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Jan '13

tomincali

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gov is already running healthcare mine is going up do to gov so they are running up the cost.
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Jan '13

artjeb

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Right my mdeicare went up114 dollars a month this january Government insurance ??? ha ha ha ha jeez
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Post @artjeb
Jan '13

PoliticalSpice

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@artjeb You don't need to take medicare. There are private companies that would be happy to insure you. Why don't you practice what you preach and get off the medicare? No one forces you to take it.
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Jan '13

artjeb

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@PoliticalSpice thanks but if i gave up medicare what would the cost ov private insurance cost me ? id rather pay that then unlknown amount & have certian exclusions the insurances like to put riders on the policy Thanks again
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Post @artjeb
Jan '13

artjeb

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@PoliticalSpice Again there isn't anythrong with medicare my p[oint is a seperate government run ins. That would be way out from what the congress gets for free .
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Jan '13

PoliticalSpice

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@artjeb Apologies I mistook your comment as one of those anti-govt rants I see on here so often about medicare, medicade, etc.
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Post @PoliticalSpice
Jan '13

Dan_Tien

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Private health insurance companies don't want to compete with the government because they don't want to lower the profits for the sake of healthier Americans.
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Jan '13

PoliticalSpice

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Exactly. Give us the public option. Why are free marketers against letting pribate insuance companies compete?
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Jan '13

bsking

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They act like 100,000,000,000 dollars is a lot of money... under your Bama Care Act/ tax hike... they have that much money set aside for every single year could be used at the discretion Kathleen Sebelius...
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Jan '13

Vance1

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I do not seek my country to become eastern europe
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Jan '13

PNWest

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And I do not seek my country to become Haiti.
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Jan '13

Cheenoguy

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Fine by me. Lets go with Western Europe where they live longer and healthier then we do.
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Jan '13

ConserveUSA

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I do not want the government to tell me what doctor or hospital to go to! I just want my choice medical choices and I will remain going to my Conservative Roman Catholic Health Care Providers.
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Jan '13

Cheenoguy

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So don't choose the public OPTION.
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Jan '13

ConserveUSA

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@Cheenoguy I sure will not.
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Jan '13

Cheenoguy

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@ConserveUSA
I will.
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Jan '13

Fishbone345

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How is the government telling you what providers to go to any different from a privately owned insurance company doing 'exactly' the same thing?
Blue Cross, Cigna, United, etc... they ALL have a list of providers. Get real.
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Post @Fishbone345
Jan '13

ConserveUSA

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@Fishbone345 I know how this government controls.
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Jan '13

thejimbo

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All the Democrats at home should try spending 35-40% more than their income after taxes for a few years and see where they wind up. By the time they are living on the street they will understand the problem the Fed Gov is creating for the people with their poorly managed plan.
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Jan '13

Cheenoguy

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Yes because Republicans are really small market. Remember the only time during the past 50 years we had a surplus? That's right it was during the Clinton years.
Republicans and Democrats both love to spend more then they bring in, they just do it in different ways.
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Jan '13

thejimbo

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@Cheenoguy Those cheeky bastards! ;)
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Jan '13

Mia

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Why arent the prez, biden, pelosi, reid, & the rest signed up for this great healthcare? Why all the waivers? If its so great it seems like everyone should be lining up to jump on board. Oh, & the CBO would only say it , if it were true. Right?
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Jan '13

CaryNickel

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If you accept government run health care, you are obligated to accept the health care the government bureaucrat allows you to receive.
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Jan '13

Canoochee

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And what incentive is there to keep costs down? Government doesn't have to make a profit to stay in business. Private companies do. I know this is a foreign concept to most on here. The leftists who understand it find it repugnant that business has to make money to survive.
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Jan '13

MadAmerican

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Lets see. Does it have a panel like Obamacare that decides who gets treatment? Do you have to pay for it for four years before you can use it like Obamacare? And why aern't the democrats backing the great Obamacare? Could it be they finally read the plan and are now realizing it's not going to work and will add millions to the defecit. Things that make you say Mmmmmmm.
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Jan '13

Grubby

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All Democrats, including Obama, Reid, and Pelosi should go onto Medicare, and let the bureaucrats decide when you can get treatment, what you can get, and who you can go to. The rest of us, thank you very much, will choose our own medical services. We will see who is most happy with the results. The Dems will wait for months to see a doctor, then get the "medicare" level of care. Actually it might kill off a few Democrats prematurely, so maybe not a bad thing.
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Jan '13

Ashstop

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Well, the government takeover of the economy has to start somewhere I guess, let's see, trying to disarm the civilians, takeover the economy, he's right on track for 51% of the population, what a relief for my neighbors kid, soon that deadend hamburger job he can barely keep will pay off, he can make the same as my niece who has been struggling through college for 8 years now, is this a great country or not?( guess who he voted for?)
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Jan '13

osimplicityo

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Yes yes and yes!! It would help so many!
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Jan '13

MarkJM

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Option yes, being mandated into it no. I'll stick with my private health insurer, which has been very good to me for the past 8 years...
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Would you like to have the choice of a government run health insurance plan?

Would you like to have the choice of a government run health insurance plan?