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Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Small Biz Health Care Daily: The Public Option Still There

For those of us who foresee nothing but higher costs and diminished care with government running health care, there were two moments of hope on Tuesday, September 28. The Senate Finance Committee voted down two proposals to establish government-run health care plans.

But it is important to keep in mind that this is not the end of the “public option” battle.

First, leaders in the House of Representatives are still pushing a government plan, and they have the support of the President.

Second, the leaders on this in the Senate Finance Committee – Senators Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) – believe they can still get this through. Some see opportunities on the Senate floor or in conference.

Third, Senator Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus’ (D-MT) proposal for co-ops created and seeded with taxpayer dollars amounts to little more than another avenue for a government plan.

Fourth, another proposal being considered is that a public plan would be triggered if certain cost and competition goals fail to be met. Well, considering that this agenda features massive increases in government regulations and mandates, it’s pretty hard to see how costs would decline and competition would expand. Hence, the government plan.

As noted in yesterday’s posting, this entire effort amounts to a “public option.” It’s just a matter of whether or not those advocating government run health care can disguise their effort so enough people fail to recognize its reality.

Raymond J. Keating
Chief Economist
Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council

1 comment:

john gordon said...

My concern with this health care reform, as an Independent, is that it’s all over the place, there are not enough specifics and it must be put into writing and as if “written in stone” so that not every illegal that comes to the US will get free healthcare and those that work hard all their citizen life in US pay for every “Tom, Dick and Harry”