Comment & Debate
Howard Dean. “Why The Public Health Insurance Option Is Worth Fighting For”. Think Progress. August 19, 2009: “Real health care reform that includes a new public health insurance option would give Americans a real choice and not reward for-profit health insurers with 47 milllion new customers.”
Robert Creamer. “Three Reasons Why a Strong Public Option is Likely to be Part of Health Insurance Reform” Huffington Post. August 18, 2009: “most major health insurance markets are dominated by two or three companies so there is no real competition -particularly with respect to price. […] Once everyone is required to buy insurance, the companies can have a field day raising prices and profits using the government to guarantee they are paid – either through subsidies or the imposition of fines. You can see why, from an insurance company perspective, this would be a great deal. […] But from the point of view of the taxpayers – and the insurance ratepayers – it would be a disaster. It would be like giving the insurance companies a license to take your money – with no regulation – all enforced by government edict.”