Americans favor public health option

I agree that many people support health care reform but not all of these individuals support the Democrats' version of health care reform.

A large majority would like this legislation to contain tort limits but the Democrats refuse. Why?

The funding mechanisms are based on accounting methods that only Bernie Maddoff would be proud of.

We need reform but we also need our politicians to listen to the majority of the American people.

It makes sense to me. Healthcare costs are way to high and what better way to bring them down than offer an alternative. It would make the Health Insurers sit up and take notice. Watch those rates start falling and guess what, American citizens will be able to afford healthcare, once again. Here, we thought the marketplace had the ability to correct itself. Who would have " thunk " !!?
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.

What Democratic district was the poll from CNN taken?

And the AP found -- not surprisingly -- that when it specifically asked if people woulld PAY more for any of these options that support just miraculously cratered.

Imagine that.

Of course they do - they don't want this to continue: http://www.newsy.com/videos/drugmakers_raise_prices_ahead_of_health_care_reform

If we have a Public Option in the so-called Health Reform Bill it will drive out the Private Health Insurance Carriers who will not be able to compete with a Government subsidized Health Program. We will then have Socialized Health Care which is the end game of Obama and his Religious Cult of followers. My question to those that are pushing for Socialized Medicine in the United States is how are we going to pay for such a Health Program without Major Tax Increases? And will this mean that we will have a shortage of Doctors and Staff, and the Quality of Health Care will go down? Will we have long waiting periods for operations and other services like in Canada? Obama and his Cult of Followers that support the so-called Health Reform Bill need to be more up front and honest with the American People on this very important issue.

Let's examine the survey question:

"Now thinking specifically about the health insurance plans available to most Americans, would you favor or oppose creating a public health insurance option administered by the federal government that would compete with plans offered by private health insurance companies?''

How exactly does a public option "compete" with plans offered by private health insurance companies???

In the business world, competition implies an even playing field. Private health insurance companies are beholden to stock holders to show a profit - individuals who risk their own money in pursuit of reward. When the business is not viable, it naturally goes out-of-business. It fails.

A federal government health insurance plan is beholden to no one. They can opperate at massive losses, like Amtrack, or the USPS and remain in business because tax-payers provide their funding.

This is not competition! Not in any sense of the word.

Of course, the unintended consequence of all this would be that private health insurance companies could not "compete" with the bottomless taxpayer hole of a federal health insurance plan. They would naturally fail.

Hmmm, got this from CNN:

A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. Poll taken November 13-15 suggests that 46 percent of Americans favor the bill that passed in the House on November 7 by a 220 to 215 margin, with 49 percent of the public opposed to the legislation.

"Roughly one in three Americans opposes the House bill because it is too liberal, but one in 10 oppose the bill because it is not liberal enough," according to CNN Polling Director Keating Holland.

Nice spin there Silva!

Posted by: Chris | November 18, 2009 10:08 AM
;
If the public option is a disaster wouldn't that be to the advantage of the private companies? If I found out I would be competing w/ something that is poorly managed and inefficient, I'd say, "Bring it on!" I suspect the talking points you are parroting are based in the REALITY that in the past 6 years a customer satisfaction survey has shown that the VA leads in all categories. This survey includes private insurers. The government DOES provide quality care and service! The public option is a threat to private insurers who have ganged up on consumers for too long.

Simply the truth,

How can a private insurance company "compete" against a public insurance plan?

No matter how mismanaged the public plan will be, and we know this to be true because everything the government manages is mis-managed, the public plan has the "unlimited" resources of tax-payers to keep it afloat. They will not be able to "compete".

From Public Opinion Startegies, a poll on ObamaCare itself:

"In one of the first national surveys completed after the House vote on health care reform . . . things do not look good for President Obama and Democrats in Congress:

Opposition to President Obama’s health care plan is higher after the House vote than our previous tracks (29% favor/40% oppose). Voters’ net opposition to the plan has increased from -6% in September (31% favor/37% oppose) to -11% today.

Voter opposition to President Obama’s health care plan is higher than ever measured for President Clinton’s plan in 1993/1994 (35% oppose in June 1994).

Multiple surveys show voters believe President Obama’s health care plan will mean their health care costs will increase (46% increase/11% decrease) and their quality of care will get worse (40% get worse/18% get better). Concerns about cost have trended up since September.

Data continue to show the more people hear about President Obama’s health care plan the less they like it (38% the more I like it/52% the less I like it).

The tide has significantly changed as Americans’ views about government "

No wonder the White House and its media allies are worried.

Chris,
How can private insurance companies compete, the same way FedEx and UPS competes. The same way every private institution of higher learning competes. The same way private companies compete for federal jobs, ie: prison managment, et.
Buy a clue!

kg123 (buy a clue),

FedEx and UPS do not compete against the USPS to deliver mail. The USPS has a legal monopoly on that.

As for your other "arguments"...nice strawman you're building there, DOPE!

Posted by: Chris | November 18, 2009 12:09 PM
;
We have elections! You can vote out lawmakers and clean house if you don't like the way things are run. That's how private insurers can compete. YOU LOST! Get over it.

simply the truth,

Wow...who can argue with the brilliant piece of logic?

Good luck with life there, champ!

What the Hell? The so called "blue dogs" will have to do the right thing and vote for the public option, which is the best thing for this nation! Even if they have to sacrifice re-election in their own little world. Preferrably a single payer, as health care insurance is run by racketeers anyway. We should take this racket out of the system. If you want to sell me insurance sell me auto, life, fire, or accident. Health insurance is a racket, they should all be charged with racketeering for selling it! They don't sell health care to sick people, people with pre-existing and older people who will be needing health care! Remember the republicans never do anything for this nation, they only do things to this nation! whiteagle38

Chris,
Standard mail deliver is protected, correct but not specialty package delivery. That is where the profits for the USPS are made, mail delivery operates at a loss.
Dispute the others if you want but you're the one building strawmen, not me.
Keep trying to scare your way through your arguments.
Loser.

Not surprising, especially since the word is getting out about the public option already working successfully in so many places! The facts are hard to ignore! http://cli.gs/23yYaM/

The question forgot to add "and increase the size of the deficit" - see what Americans would say if they had that nugget of information.

Congrats - the Debt clock passed $12 Trillion

http://www.usdebtclock.org/

The national debt was $10,626,877,048,913.08 on January 20, 2009. NIce job flatliners.

"And the AP found -- not surprisingly -- that when it specifically asked if people woulld PAY more for any of these options that support just miraculously cratered.
Imagine that.
Posted by: beth | November 18, 2009 9:26 AM"

Crimony, Beth, the whole reason for reform is to pay less for health care.
If we want to pay more, just stick with the current system. It's going up at an exponential rate.
The current system will provide an average premium increase of 15% in '10. That's average.
The current system will destroy America's private finances is a few short years. And not just the 'undeserving poor'. It's gonna reach way up into the middle class.

terry the teabagger:
The question forgot to add "and increase the size of the deficit" - see what Americans would say if they had that nugget of information.

Congrats - the Debt clock passed $12 Trillion

http://www.usdebtclock.org/

The national debt was $10,626,877,048,913.08 on January 20, 2009. NIce job flatliners.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You are probably among the fortunate to have good medical insurance coverage and I hope it continues for you. Meanwhile, here in the real world, Americans are dying because of a lack of insurance:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/chi-ap-us-med-injuredanduni,0,6005477.story

The lives of the uninsured may not matter to you but they do matter to other caring compassionate Americans who voted for Obama because he promised a healthcare reform with a public option.

Where were you teabaggers while jobs were being eliminated, costly pointless wars were being waged and the banks were receiving massive trillion dollar+ bailouts and credit extentions?
To you myopic baggers, the trouble began the day Obama won the election.

terry the teabagger:
The question forgot to add "and increase the size of the deficit" - see what Americans would say if they had that nugget of information.

Congrats - the Debt clock passed $12 Trillion

http://www.usdebtclock.org/

The national debt was $10,626,877,048,913.08 on January 20, 2009. NIce job flatliners.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You are probably among the fortunate to have good medical insurance coverage and I hope it continues for you. Meanwhile, here in the real world, Americans are dying because of a lack of insurance:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/chi-ap-us-med-injuredanduni,0,6005477.story

The lives of the uninsured may not matter to you but they do matter to other caring compassionate Americans who voted for Obama because he promised a healthcare reform with a public option.

Where were you teabaggers while jobs were being eliminated, costly pointless wars were being waged and the banks were receiving massive trillion dollar+ bailouts and credit extentions?
To you myopic baggers, the trouble began the day Obama won the election.

cmorris: (snipped)

The current system will destroy America's private finances is a few short years. And not just the 'undeserving poor'. It's gonna reach way up into the middle class. (end)

What middle class ? What's emerging is one humongous working poor group, struggling to put a roof over their heads, let alone pay for medical insurance and care and the privileged minority who will be paying enormous premiums and out of pocket expenses and when their money runs out, they'll be in the same group as most everyone else:
broke

Always wrog and getting dumber,

First - you only need to post your stupidity once.

Second - let's get something straight - I am not "fortunate to have good medical insurance coverage". You make it sound like I won it in the lottery. I earn my compensation from my employer, which includes good health insurance. I would never trade my employer provider health insurance for some gov't run wiat-in-line program. I am helping pull this country's economic wagon, not sitting out like you flatliners whoe were born with you palms facing upward looking for a handout from society's producers.

As far as TARP money and spending under the Bush administration, I was protesting loud and clear.

As far as the war on terror, I protested that about as much as you libs protested Clinton bombing Iraq over WMDs and Clinton bombing Kosovo.

Posted by: kg123 | November 18, 2009 1:50 PM

Chris,
Standard mail deliver is protected, correct but not specialty package delivery. That is where the profits for the USPS are made, mail delivery operates at a loss.
Dispute the others if you want but you're the one building strawmen, not me.
Keep trying to scare your way through your arguments.
Loser.
___________________________

Insurance Companies are not able to sale across state lines. Drop that and with in a few months the cost for insurance would drop. It really is that easy but, seeing how its common sense the Left would never understand.

Why if I call the police or fire department for an emergency there is no personal charge. If I do not have private pay health insurance and need an ambulance along with a paramedic then the cost could exceed thousands of dollars before ever getting to a hospital for emergent care.