No public option? The plan does propose: "Every member of Congress will be required to purchase their insurance from the new health insurance exchange." Wait a minute here, does the president think that this provision will make health care affordable for all Americans? The last time I checked, members of Congress didn't need new options for health care; they can afford the status quo. How does this help the millions of Americans that are priced out of the system?

The president's plan embraces the Senate proposal that would provide exchanges administered by the same agency that administers the federal employees health care plan. The idea has some merit, and I defended it when it looked like the public option was dead. But, it leaves private insurance companies in charge of negotiating rates. It will not create the level of competition that a "robust public option" would.

What qualifies as a "robust public option"?

Quite simply, a plan that is not only administered by the government, but also cuts out the private insurance companies serving as the middleman.

Medicare, for example, is a true public option; the government negotiates directly with health care providers on rates. The government does not build in profit, bonuses, and advertising costs into the rates they negotiate. So, naturally, they can provide access to the same care at a lower rate than a private insurance company can.

One problem the public option has faced, is that it was poorly sold to the American people. It was sold as a government takeover of health care. The truth is, doctors and patients would have more control under a public option. Gone would be the real death panels who ration care, gone would be an insurance company employee deciding what treatment is most cost-effective. A public option wouldn't force anyone out of their current plan. If people want to continue to pay insurance companies for acting as a middleman, they have every right to do so. If people want to continue to pay for the TV commercials from Anthem Blue Cross, go right ahead. If you are more concerned with adding to the bottom line of WellPoint, then keep overpaying for private health insurance. All we are asking is for the right to make a better deal.

Obama's Plan

While I believe the public option is needed, I still believe the Obama plan will help millions of Americans. I personally do not have health care because insurance companies see me as a risk. They would have to cover me under Obama's plan. Obama's plan would give the government the authority to regulate insurance rates. The Obama plan would fund Community health centers. The Obama plan would provide a pool for helping people with pre-existing conditions buy into a plan. The Obama plan would set up exchanges that would increase choice for those needing health care. Those are just some of the good features of the plan.

Is it the best we can do? No.

Public Option Not Dead

What happened to using reconciliation to force a vote in the Senate on a public option?

The answer may be that a robust public option is still on the table, but that we will have to fight for it. Obama's proposal is not the final bill. On Friday night, Harry Reid announced that reconciliation would be used to push a health care bill through the Senate within the next two months. If the Senate is going to pass a bill that will make it through the House, that bill may need a public option. This is a huge opening for proponents of the public option. It is time for a full-court press; time to pressure the president and the Senate to pass a public option through reconciliation. Nineteen Senators already have signed on to a letter in support of doing just that. Their effort needs our support. This might be our last chance.

Scott Galindez is a co-founder of Truthout, and the Political Director for Reader Supported News.

readersupportednews.org/opinion/39-health-care/1071-wheres-the-public-option

Feb. 22, 2010