Over the weekend, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a
Healthcare bill 220-215. So we’re one step closer to the healthcare overhaul President Obama promised during the campaign season prior to his Presidency.
As this bill heads to the U.S. Senate for debate and vote, I can’t help but wonder if this is really a great option for our country, our businesses, and our Healthcare Providers. Below is an article I found from the Boston Globe that made a lot of sense to me, and I hope it will to you as well.
An option for public: less government, more choice
“My guiding principle is and always has been that consumers do better when there is choice and competition.’’ So said President Obama in his address to Congress on health care, making an argument for a government-run “public option’’ to sell health insurance that many Democrats have echoed.
In 34 states, Obama noted, three-fourths of the insurance market is controlled by five or fewer companies. “Without competition, the price of insurance goes up and the quality goes down.’’ But add a public option “administered by the government just like Medicaid or Medicare,’’ he said, and competition would revive.
No, it wouldn’t.
A government-run health insurer would radically tilt the health-insurance playing field. It would amount to a new entitlement program, able to undercut the price of private insurance by squeezing hospitals and doctors, reimbursing them at below-market rates. “Just like Medicaid and Medicare,’’ which also underpay medical providers, the public option would force hospitals and doctors to charge private insurers more. Insurers would be compelled to raise their premiums, eventually losing millions of customers to the government plan.
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For those of you not aware K.I.S.S stands for Keep It Simple Silly.
Melissa Truax
