tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5943253092935846366.post8781356676495726720..comments2019-05-05T06:24:18.252-07:00Comments on Dying for a Public Option: Good News or Bad News?Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10426890189698683934noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5943253092935846366.post-52280326113678621712009-08-16T21:38:58.590-07:002009-08-16T21:38:58.590-07:00Hi, Anonymous.
You've actually jumped straigh...Hi, Anonymous.<br /><br />You've actually jumped straight ahead to tomorrow's post -- an around-the-world look at how different countries get their health care.<br /><br />The answers to your question might be a) Japan, where the government helps low-income citizens pay for private insurance (and there is virtually no public insurance) or b) Switzerland, which also has no public health insurance companies and no single-payer. Neither system is ideal, but both work better than ours -- and both are more strongly dependent on the private sector than non-profit co-ops would have to be.<br /><br />I'm obviously a strong proponent of the public option, but I think some of your suppositions aren't totally reasonable.<br /><br />I am, though, deeply worried that one of the few things Republicans, Blue Dogs and Democrats can agree on is private industry profit, and the reason they can do that is because of direct lobbying and campaign donation. That's worrisome to me, too.Nickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10426890189698683934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5943253092935846366.post-67204915758646284012009-08-16T21:18:30.536-07:002009-08-16T21:18:30.536-07:00Which developed countries that don't have eith...Which developed countries that don't have either some form of a single payer system or a public option provide high quality, cost effective universal healthcare?<br /><br />The answer to that question shows quite clearly that the Public Option IS a standard bearer.<br /><br />Ditching a Public Option and caving in to Big Pharma on druge price negotiation would not result in meaningful reform. To pretend otherwise is foolish, not to mention the fact that the ONLY reason to promote such a plan is to gain political points. That way they can say "hey look, we passed something we can call healthcare reform" without alienating the corporations that fund their campaigns.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com