Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Is the public option worth fighting for?

Writing on CommonDreams.org, Andy Coates of Physicians for a National Health Program says Do Not Resuscitate the ‘Public Option.’
All along, adding a feeble public insurance plan to the insurance market has been but a very poor excuse to support “insurance reform” that will criminalize the uninsured, divert billions of tax dollars to subsidize unaffordable private insurance premiums and protect pharmaceutical industry super-profits.

Another world is still possible. It is called Medicare-for-all, expanded and improved.

2 comments:

BLAZER PROPHET said...

Personally, I'd like healthcare reform to be a state's right with the feds supporting with money. To me, the individual states seem better equipped to deal with those in need.

amazon grace said...

Thank you for commenting.

What Coates is talking about, however, is not a form of aid for low-income people. He's talking about single-payer insurance, in which everyone gets their healthcare paid for as part of a single system, while retaining the right to choose their own doctors. The economies of scale associated with a single program would help to drive down costs, while making sure that everyone is covered.