Record Number On Obamacare (That's Not Good Enough)

 

There are a record number of people now covered by the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) -- about 31 million people. That's because of President Biden extending the registration period and providing a little more help in paying private insurance premiums. I wish I could say that has fixed our broken health care system, but the truth is that much more needs to be done.

There are still millions of American citizens with no health insurance at all -- preventing them from getting crucial and life-saving preventative care (which costs the lives of thousands of citizens every year).

These are people who cannot afford the private insurance premiums (even with government help) and don't qualify for Medicaid (thanks to very stringent state laws).

This is a national embarrassment, as we are the only developed nation that doesn't cover all of its citizens with either health care or health insurance. We must fix this!

The optimal way to fix it would be Medicare-For-All. But that doesn't yet have enough support among the population or in Congress. 

There is another way though -- a public option for health insurance. Government insurance that would cover everyone that cannot qualify for or afford private insurance, and would provide a low cost alternative for others. A public option for health insurance is supported by about two-thirds of the American public, and should be passed by Congress. President Biden has already said he would sign a public option bill.

Sadly, Republicans still don't recognize the right of citizens to decent health care. They still view health care as a product to be sold only to those who can afford it. They would undoubtably filibuster any bill creating a public option.

That's just one more reason (among many) why the Senate filibuster must be eliminated.

68% Of Voters Favor A Public Option For Health Insurance

The chart above is from the Politico / Morning Consult Poll -- done between March 19th and 22nd of a national sample of 1,994 registered voters, with a 2 point margin of error.

During his campaign, President Biden promised to create a public option for health insurance. He has not proposed it yet, trying to get his infrastructure and family bills thru Congress first. But the public overwhelmingly supports the public option for insurance, with about two out of three voters (68%) supporting the measure. Even 56% of the Republican base would like to see it created.

But the Republicans in Congress don't support it, and they would filibuster it when it is proposed. It's one more example of why the filibuster must be reformed or eliminated to give the American people what they want.

NOTE -- About 55% of voters would support Medicare for All, but that is even more unlikely to pass Congress. 

Nearly 7 Out Of 10 Voters Support Public Insurance Option

The chart above reflects the results of the newest Politico / Morning Consult Poll -- done between March 19th and 22nd of a national sample of 1,994 registered voters, with a 2 point margin of error.

Americans know that we have a broken health care system -- a system that gives great care to those who can afford to buy insurance, but leaves millions of Americans without any kind of health insurance (and therefore without preventative health care which could save their lives). The public wants decent health care available to all citizens.

Two proposals have been put forth to accomplish that. One is a Medicare For All proposal that would put all citizens under government health insurance (like the current Medicare program does for those over 65). The other would be a government health insurance option that would cover those who cannot afford private insurance (and any citizen could buy into instead of buying private insurance).

According to this poll, both plans are supported by a majority of registered voters -- with 55% supporting Medicare For All, and 68% supporting a public option for insurance. 

President Biden supports the public option for insurance, and that would be the easiest to accomplish (because it has the support of two-thirds of voters, and even 56% of Republican voters).

Sadly though, the Republicans in Congress don't care what the voters want. They oppose both plans, and probably have enough support to kill either plan in the Senate. They still think health care is not a right of all citizens, but just a product to be sold to those who can afford it.
 

Voting For The GOP, Is Voting Against Health Insurance

 

Last year, according to the Census Bureau, there were over 27 million Americans that did not have any health insurance in the United States. And according to the Economic Policy Institute, another 6 million have lost their health insurance in the current recession (because they lost their job and were insured through their employer).

This is a serious problem. No other developed country has citizens that are not covered with insurance for medical care. All those nations provide decent health care for all their citizens -- either through a national health system (like Great Britain) or guaranteed health insurance (like France or Canada).

Those nations recognize health care as a right for all of their citizens. The United States does not. The Republicans in our government see health care as a product that should only be sold to those who can pay for it. And they have had enough power in our federal government to prevent the government from assuring all citizens have insurance that will provide them with decent and affordable medical care.

The Republicans say they want medicare insurance for all citizens. And in his 2016 campaign, Donald Trump said he would make sure all Americans were covered by health insurance. They were all lying!

Trump has been in office for over three years, and he has not come up with any plan to cover all Americans with health insurance. Around the first of August, Trump said he would release his idea for a great health insurance plan in two weeks. It is now two months later, and there is no plan. And the congressional Republicans are even worse. They have been promising a plan since Obamacare was passed, and still have no plan. They even tried to outlaw Obamacare with no replacement plan.

And they are still trying to outlaw Obamacare. Currently, they have a case that will soon be heard by the Supreme Court. If they win that case, Obamacare will be outlawed, causing many millions of Americans to lose their health insurance, and many millions more to lose the coverage for pre-existing conditions (will will make their insurance much more expensive -- perhaps unaffordable). With the new justice appointed by Trump (and sure to be approved by the Senate), the odds are much greater that they will win that case.

That means there is only one way to assure that all Americans, regardless of income or ability to pay, will have health insurance (and are able to access life-saving preventative care). We must flip the Senate over to Democratic control and put a Democrat (Biden) in the White House. Democrats have promised to pass a public option for health insurance -- one that will cover those who can't afford private insurance, and will stop private companies for charging more for pre-existing conditions. 

The Republicans have no plan. And if they retain enough power after the next election, they will block the Democratic plan. They will leave tens of millions of Americans without health insurance -- causing many thousands to die each year because they could not afford the preventative care that would have saved their lives.

If you vote for the Republicans, you are voting against health care. That is just a fact.

Pandemic Has More People Supporting Insurance For All

This chart is from a recent Change Research Poll -- done between March 26th and 28th of a national sample of 1,845 likely general election voters, with a 3.3 point margin of error.

If there's anything good that's going to come out of the Coronavirus pandemic, it is that more Americans now understand the importance of expanding health insurance to all citizens. They don't want anyone to have to avoid being treated for an illness because they can't afford the medical bills.

Tha's the opinion of 84% of all voters -- including 67% of Republicans, 80% of Independents, and 100% of Democrats.

This will only help the Democrats in the coming election. The public has seen that Republicans have no answer as to how to cover all citizens with health insurance. They still belief that medical care is a privilege reserved for only those who can afford it.

Democrats believe health care is a right, and if a Democratic president and a Democratic Congress is put in power in the next election, then we will see health insurance coverage provided for all citizens. It probably won't be "Medicare for All", but it more than likely would be a public option for insurance (which will cover those who can't afford insurance now).

That would be a big step forward for this country.

Two-Thirds Of Public Supports A Public Option For Insurance

The charts above are from a recent Kaiser Family Foundation Poll -- done between February 13th and 18th of a national sample of 1,207 adults, with a 3 point margin of error.

The poll shows that health care is the biggest issue for voters in this election -- with 26% saying that. About 23% said the economy, 14% said climate change, and 13 % said foreign policy/national security.

The second chart shows that Obamacare remains popular with a majority of Americans (55%), while only 37% oppose it. This is trouble for Republicans (who are currently still trying to have it overturned in the courts, and have no replacement for it).

But Americans don't believe Obamacare is the answer. They want better coverage, and they want it for all American citizens. About 52% think that better solution is a Medicare-For-All program, but that pales in comparison to the 66% who prefer a public option for health insurance.

Most Popular Insurance Reform Plan Is A Public Option

The two charts above reflect the results of the Politico / Morning Consult Poll -- done between November 18th and 21st of a national sample of 1,997 registered voters, with a 2 point margin of error.

The blue chart at the top shows what the voters would think about a public option being created for health insurance (which would give everyone a choice between government and private insurance).

The green chart shows what voters would think about putting everyone into a government insurance program (like "Medicare for All").

Note that while support has grown for a Medicare for All plan, only about half the population would support it. However, there is now overwhelming support for a public option (with even a substantial majority of Republicans supporting it).

Gallup Poll Shows Healthcare Is A Good Issue For Democrats

The chart above is from a recent Gallup Poll -- done between November 1st and 14th of a national sample of 1,015 adults, with a 4 point margin of error.

It shows a significant majority of Americans (63%) think the U.S. healthcare system is in a state of crisis and has major problems. Only 37% say it has only minor problems or no problems at all.

This is good for Democrats -- if they are smart. Americans want significant improvements to U.S. healthcare. They want lower costs (for doctors, hospitals, and drugs) and they want all Americans to have decent health insurance (that will provide preventative care and save them from bankruptcy). This would be a good issue for Democrats to campaign on in the general election.

But as much as I think the ultimate answer to our healthcare problems would be a single-payer, government-run system (like Medicare For All), the public is not quite ready for that. The public will support a public option for insurance that will cover everyone that wants it, but a large number of workers are not yet ready to give up their employer-provided private insurance.

Campaigning on an immediate Medicare For All system (eliminating private insurance) would scare a lot of people and make the healthcare issue work against Democrats.

I think Elizabeth Warren has the right idea. We need to create a public option that would cover those who cannot afford private insurance, and give others the option to buy into it. Once the public (and corporations) sees that it works (without massive taxes on the working and middle classes), then we can take the final step to Medicare For All.

Democrats have an issue that will work for them -- as long as they don't try to go too far too fast.

Warren's Transition Health Plan Shows She Is A Realist

(This photo of Senator Elizabeth Warren is from her Facebook page.)

Make no mistake. Senator Elizabeth Warren wants the nation to have a single-payer government-run health insurance plan (commonly called Medicare-For-All). She truly believes that kind of plan will be the best for all Americans -- covering all citizens with decent insurance and lowering the cost of drugs and medical care.

But Warren is also a realist. She understands that a Medicare-For-All plan could not pass Congress right away if she's elected -- even with Democrats in control of both branches of Congress. Too many Americans get their private insurance through their employer, and they like the plan they have. A true Medicare-For-All plan could not be initiated until these people are convinced it would be better for them.

That does not mean that Obamacare could not be improved to cover all Americans and start to lower costs. In fact, most Americans would support a government public option for health insurance -- one that would cover anyone who can't afford private insurance and would allow any person to buy into the plan. And such a plan could be easily passed with a Democratic president and a Democratic-controlled Congress.

So Warren has made it clearer what she supports, and what she would try to achieve if she became president. She says she would first get a transition plan passed -- a public option that would cover those without insurance and that any American could buy into. She believes this step would convince most Americans that Medicare-For-All could work, and then it could be passed.

Here, from her website, is how she describes what she would do for health insurance if elected president:

Every serious proposal for Medicare for All contemplates a significant transition period. Today, I’m announcing my plan to expand public health care coverage, reduce costs, and improve the quality of care for every family in America. My plan will be completed in my first term. It includes dramatic actions to lower drug prices, a Medicare for All option available to everyone that is more generous than any plan proposed by any other presidential candidate, critical health system reforms to save money and save lives, and a full transition to Medicare for All.  

Here’s what I'll do in my first 100 days:

• I’ll pursue comprehensive anti-corruption reforms to rein in health insurers and drug companies – reforms that are essential to make any meaningful health care changes in Washington.
• I’ll use the tools of the presidency to start improving coverage and lowering costs – immediately. I’ll reverse Donald Trump’s sabotage of health care, protect individuals with pre-existing conditions, take on the big pharmaceutical companies to lower costs of key drugs for millions of Americans, and improve the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, and Medicaid. 
• I will fight to pass fast-track budget reconciliation legislation to create a true Medicare for All option that’s free for tens of millions. I won’t hand Mitch McConnell a veto over my health care agenda. Instead, I’llgive every American over the age of 50 the choice to enter an improved Medicare program, and I’ll give every person in America the choice to get coverage through a true Medicare for All option. Coverage under the new Medicare for All option will be immediately free for children under the age of 18 and for families making at or below 200% of the federal poverty level (about $51,000 for a family of four). For all others, the cost will be modest, and eventually, coverage under this plan will be free for everyone.

By the end of my first 100 days, we will have opened the door for tens of millions of Americans to get high-quality Medicare for All coverage at little or no cost. But I won’t stop there. Throughout my term, I’ll fight for additional health system reforms to save money and save lives - including a boost of $100 billion in guaranteed, mandatory spending for new NIH research over the next ten years to radically improve basic medical science and the development of new medical miracles for patients.

And finally, no later than my third year in office, I will fight to pass legislation that would complete the transition to full Medicare for All. By this point, the American people will have experienced the full benefits of a true Medicare for All option, and they can see for themselves how that experience stacks up against high-priced care that requires them to fight tooth-and-nail against their insurance company. Per the terms of the Medicare for All Act, supplemental private insurance that doesn’t duplicate the benefits of Medicare for All would still be available. But by avoiding duplicative insurance and integrating every American into the new program, the American people would save trillions of dollars on health costs.

I will pursue each of these efforts in consultation with key stakeholders, including patients, health care professionals, unions, individuals with private insurance, hospitals, seniors currently on Medicare, individuals with disabilities and other patients who use Medicaid, Tribal Nations, and private insurance employees. 

And at each step of my plan, millions more Americans will pay less for health care. Millions more Americans will see the quality of their current health coverage improve. And millions more Americans will have the choice to ditch their private insurance and enter a high-quality public plan. And, at each step, the changes in our health care system will be fully paid for without raising taxes one penny on middle class families.

Every step in the coming fight to improve American health care – like everyother fight to improve American health care – will be opposed by those powerful industries who profit from our broken system.  

But I’ll fight my heart out at each step of this process, for one simple reason: I spent a lifetime learning about families going broke from the high cost of health care. I’ve seen up close and personal how the impact of a medical diagnosis can be devastating and how the resulting medical bills can turn people’s lives upside down. When I’m President of the United States, I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure that never happens to another person again.

Public Approves Of Gov. Health Insurance (& Private Also)

These charts are from the recent CBS News / SSRS Poll -- done between September 26th and October 2nd of a national sample of 1,292 adults, with a 3 point margin of error.

The good news is that Democrats are winning the health care debate. About two-thirds (66%) of the public says they are in favor of a government health insurance plan for all -- including 34% of Republicans, 67% of Independents, and 91% of Democrats.

But that does not mean they support a "Medicare For All" plan like those proposed by Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren -- a plan that would replace private insurance with government insurance. About 59% say they want the government insurance to compete with private insurance plans.

"Medicare For All" supporters shouldn't be discouraged though. Creating a public option for insurance is the first step toward a "Medicare For All" reality. I doubt private insurance could compete for very long with a good public option, but many people with private insurance need to see that for themselves.

This should not discourage Democrats from voting for Elizabeth Warren. While she would like to eliminate private insurance in favor of a government plan covering everyone, she's also a realist. I think she would sign a good health bill that falls short of her dream -- a plan that creates a viable public option (covering all who can't afford or don't want private insurance) and reduces medical costs.

We will eventually get a government-run health insurance plan that covers everyone, but the time is not right yet. Even if Warren (or Sanders) is elected president and Democrats take control of both branches of Congress, it will not happen. There are not enough Democrats (or people in the general public) that support it yet. But a public option could easily be passed -- and that's a big step toward it.

We progressives need to be pragmatic. Getting to our goal in steps is much better than not getting there at all.

Is It Time For Medicare-For-All Or A Public Option?

There is currently a debate about whether this country should go to a Medicare-For-All health insurance system (eliminating private insurance and putting everyone on the government program)? And it's not just Bernie Sanders pushing the idea this year. Several other Democratic presidential candidates have also jumped on board. Some though want to go slower, creating a public option for health insurance and giving citizens a choice of whether to sign up for it or purchase private insurance (or get private insurance through their employer).

I personally believe this country, hopefully not too far down the road, will finally wind up with a single-payer, government-run health insurance system (like a Medicare-For-All system). It the only program that would solve the problems with our health care system -- especially cost and coverage for everyone.

But I'm also realistic, and I understand the majority of Americans are not yet ready to completely do away with private insurance -- especially those getting insurance through their employer. And until a significant majority wants Medicare-For-All, it's not going to happen. Currently a majority of registered voters (54%) and Independents (55%) are opposed to Medicare-For-All, and until those groups are on board, it's useless to try and pass such a program.

Progressives should be exasperated though. The public is on board with passing a public option, and giving Americans a choice of the government program or private insurance. And that's halfway to our goal. It probably wouldn't be totally effective in controlling costs, but it could be designed to cover all Americans with health insurance.

If this public option is designed properly, it will become as popular as Medicare currently is. And as many see they can save money with the public option (including employers), the nation will move toward a true Medicare-For-All.

American voters are notoriously moderate for the most part. They want progress, but they want it in steps (so they can be sure it works before going further). Creating a public option for insurance is a step the country is ready for, so that is what should be done right now. It just makes sense.

The charts above reflect the results of a recent NPR / PBS NewsHour / Marist Poll -- done between July 15th and 17th of a national sample of 1,346 registered voters. The margin of error for that sample is 3 points (and for the sub-groups is about 5.4 points).

Public Supports Medicare-For All (Up To A Point)

The charts in this post reflect the latest Economist / YouGov Poll -- done between July 14th and 16th of a national sample of 1,149 registered voters, with a margin of error fo three points.

One of the issues being discussed in the Democratic presidential campaign is whether this nation should go to a single-payer health insurance program (like Medicare-For-All). Sanders and some others are pushing hard for Medicare-For-All. Biden and others would beef up Obamacare and create a public option that would cover the poor and allow workers to buy into a Medicare-like program.

Personally, I believe our current system has failed us badly, and I believe we will eventually wind up with a single-payer system like Medicare-For-All. I'm just not sure the country is ready to do that yet.

Note in the chart above that 52% of registered voters say they would support a Medicare-For-All system, while only 39% would oppose it. That sounds great. But when you look further, you find that many of those people don't understand what that would entail.

Now look at the chart below. It asked those same people if they would support a Medicare-For-All program if it eliminated private insurance (which it surely would need to do to work). All of a sudden support drops to only 37%, while opposition climbs to 49%. There are a lot of people covered by private insurance (usually through their employer) that are not willing to give it up.

Obviously, more work needs to be done to convince the public that a single-payer, government-run health care insurance system would be the best option for everyone -- even those currently covered by private insurance.

I think Biden might be right. The path to a true single-payer system must start with creating a public option that provides good insurance for everyone, and allows workers to buy into it to save money over trying to get private insurance. Once people realize that the public option is good insurance and cheaper than private insurance, it will grow fast -- especially if businesses are allowed to buy into it for their employees.

Public Trusts Democrats More To Fix Health Care System

The charts above reflect the results of the latest Politico / Morning Consult Poll -- done between March 29th and April 1st of a national sample of 1,945 registered voters, and has a 2 point margin of error.

Donald Trump has bragged that he will become known as the "health care president", and the Republican Party would be the "health care party". He said this in spite of the fact that Republicans have no plan (and neither does Trump) to fix the health care system.

Trump tossed the ball to the Senate to come up with a plan, but Majority Leader McConnell tossed it right back. He made it clear to Trump that the Senate would NOT take up health care before the 2020 election. He knows (as do other Republicans) that one of the biggest reasons they got spanked in the 2018 election was health care, and they have no intention of trying to make it a campaign issue in 2020.

It may be too late though. Trump's joining the court fight to completely overturn Obamacare has made it clear where Trump and the Republicans stand on health care -- and you can bet the Democrats will ride that horse hard in the 2020 election.

And they should. As the top chart shows, about 40% say they trust the Democrats more to fix health care, while only 19% say they trust the Republicans more. This is not an issue the Republicans can win on.

The second chart shows how the public feels about a single-payer (Medicare For All) system. While 52% support the idea, only 28% support it strongly. That's probably not enough support to get it passed -- even though some Democratic presidential candidates are running on the idea.

I think a better idea right now is to create a public option. Cover all of the poor with that option, and let everyone else buy into it (on a sliding scale according to income).

The fly-in-the-ointment preventing large-scale support for a single-payer system right now is employer-provided insurance. A significant majority of Americans get their health insurance through their employer (a corporation or business).

Employers should be allowed to forego private insurance (which is very expensive) and buy into the public option for their employees (which would provide good care and coverage for much less money). Once employers realize how much they will save (and it would be substantial), they will move toward the public option. Once a majority of corporations and businesses do this, it will be a simple final step to go to a true single-payer system (Medicare For All).

A Public Insurance Option Is The Path To Universal Coverage

(This graphic image is from phsi.org.)

The United States is the only developed nation that doesn't recognize the right of every human to decent health care. In this country, health care has always been a product sold only to those who can afford it, and because of that many thousands die every year unnecessarily because they cannot afford the insurance that would save their lives.

The Republicans in our government think that's the way it should be. They talk about universal coverage, but vote against every effort to actually initiate it. They still believe health care is a product -- not a right.

Democrats believe differently. They believe health care is a right, and every citizen should have decent and affordable health care available to them. They want universal health care in this country, but aren't sure how to achieve it.

Some are calling for a single-payer, government-run insurance system (something like Medicare For All). This is not a bad idea, and I believe it will finally be the solution. The problem is that it still scares many Americans (because it would be a radical change, and they aren't sure how it would be paid for). Until a significantly bigger portion of the public wants it, our politicians are unlikely to even seriously discuss it.

What should we do then? It's obvious that our current system is broken. It doesn't cover everyone and it does nothing to control the sharply rising costs of health care. How can we fix it?

I believe the answer is the creation of a Public Option for health insurance.

* Medicaid should be eliminated, and the new Public Option should cover everything that the current Medicare program covers. This new program should be available to all citizens under the age of 65.

* This Public Option should be available to all Americans. Families and individuals making less than 100% to 150% of the poverty level should be immediately covered by the Public Option at no cost. The Public Option should be available to everyone else on a sliding scale of cost.

* The Public Option would be less expensive than private insurance, because by law it should be allowed to negotiate prices with drug companies and health care providers. It also would not have any profits to inflate the price (or enormous executive salaries, like private companies do).

* Open enrollment in the Public Option to businesses to cover their employees. Once many businesses and corporations understand they will save a significant amount of money by enrolling employees in the Public Option, they will do so (because it will increase their profits). We could even debate requiring businesses to cover all employees with insurance or pay a penalty (which will go to help fund the Public Option).

* Require all citizens to have health insurance, or pay a penalty equal to the cost of the Public Option.

Once a significant portion of individuals and businesses are participating in the Public Option, it will then be a small step to instituting a single-payer system for everyone.

I don't believe Medicare For All is achievable right now, but a Public Option is -- and that is the path we must take to universal health care.

A Public Option Is First (Necessary) Step To Single-Payer

(This chart uses information from the U.S. Census Bureau.)

The media and social networks on the internet are buzzing about Bernie Sanders re-introducing his plan for a single-payer (Medicare For All) health insurance system -- and the fact that at least 16 Democratic senators have signed on as co-sponsors. While that is a small bit of progress toward a single-payer system (which I support), it's not going to happen right now -- and those who think it might are living in a dream world.

Why won't it happen? It's easy to blame congressional Republicans, but that's not the real reason. The real reason is that more than half of all Americans get their insurance through their employer -- and they like that. Until this changes, single-payer will be unachievable. Here is how Jonathan Chait describes the problem in New York Magazine:

The barrier to single payer is that the American health-care system has been built, by accident, around employer-based insurance. The rhetoric of single payer concentrates its moral emphasis on people who lack insurance at all. (“Do we, as a nation, join the rest of the industrialized world and guarantee comprehensive health care to every person as a human right?” writesSanders today.) But the barrier to single-payer health care is the people who already have coverage. Designing a single-payer system means not only covering the uninsured, but financing the cost of moving the 155 million Americans who have employer-based insurance onto Medicare.

That is not a detail to be worked out. It is the entire problem. The impossibility of this barrier is why Lyndon Johnson gave up on trying to pass a universal health-care bill and instead confined his legislation to the elderly (who mostly did not get insurance through employers), and why Barack Obama left the employer-based system intact and created alternate coverage for non-elderly people outside it.

In theory, the transition could be done without hurting anybody. The money workers and their employers pay to insurance companies would be converted into taxes. But this means solving two enormous political obstacles. First, most people who have employer-based coverage like it and don’t want to change. Second, higher taxes are unpopular. Yes, in an imaginary, rational world, people could be reassured that Medicare will be as good as what they have, and the taxes will merely replace the premiums they’re already paying. In reality, people are deeply loss-averse and distrustful of politicians.

Chart is right. There will be no single-payer system until this problem is solved. And it can be solved -- just not all at once by the instituting of a Medicare For All system. It will have to be done in steps, or it won't be done at all.

* The first step is to concentrate on creating a public option for health insurance -- giving Americans the option of choosing Medicare instead of a private insurance plan.

* Do away with Medicaid completely, and enroll those people in Medicare.

* Do away with the Obamacare subsidies for private insurance. Let Americans in Medicare and pay on a sliding scale according to income. Since Medicare is more efficiently managed and doesn't include profits, it would be less expensive even for those at the top of the sliding scale.

* Allow employers to purchase the Medicare option for their employees. This will be less expensive that the private plans, and many small businesses will take that option. As private premiums continue to rise, the larger businesses and corporations will also begin to see this as an opportunity to cover their employees with decent insurance, and save a lot of money for themselves.

* Eventually, most employers will opt for the public option. When that happens, the private insurance companies will have a choice -- go out of business or change to offering Medicare supplement policies.

* At that point, you effectively have a "Medicare For All" single-payer system.

It can be done, but it can only be done in steps -- and the first step must be the creation of a public option for health insurance. Until that is done, "Medicare For All" will just remain a nice, but unattainable dream.

Public Supports Insurance Subsidies (& A Public Option)

The Republicans in Congress are quickly acting to repeal the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), or at least defund it (which would effectively kill it). They have been lying about the program since it was passed, but what they still fail to realize is that most Americans don't want the program repealed. People understand that the program is not perfect, and most just want it fixed -- not repealed.

One aspect of Obamacare that Republican officials dislike the most is the providing of subsidies to help Americans buy health insurance. Once Obamacare is defunded, or repealed, this aspect would disappear -- and over 20 million Americans would lose the health insurance they have been able to get under Obamacare.

But the public does not want the subsidies to disappear. As the chart above shows, most Americans are in favor of providing government subsidies to help low income (and middle class) people buy the health insurance they need. Only a tiny minority opposes these subsidies.

And a majority of the public also supports something else that congressional Republicans oppose -- a public option for insurance to compete with private insurance (see chart below).

The Republicans are playing with fire in their efforts to repeal Obamacare, and they may find they will get burned.

These charts were made from information contained in a new Economist / YouGov Poll -- done between January 7th and 10th of a random national sample of 1,424 adults (including 1,237 registered voters), and has a margin of error of 3.1 points.

Hillary Clinton Would Add A "Public Option" To Obamacare

(Photo of Hillary Clinton is from hillaryclinton.com.)

From an article by Jonathan Cohn in The Huffington Post:

Hillary Clinton reaffirmed her support on Saturday for creating a “public option” within Obamacare and allowing people to enroll in Medicare at age 55.

The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee also called for a substantial increase in funding in medical clinics that serve low-income Americans, fully embracing a proposal from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). . . .

“We have more work to do to finish our long fight to provide universal, quality, affordable health care to everyone in America,” Clinton said in a press release that the campaign circulated late Saturday morning. “Already, the Affordable Care Act has expanded coverage to 20 million Americans. As president, I will make sure Republicans never succeed in their attempts to strip away their care and that the remaining uninsured should be able to get the affordable coverage they need to stay healthy.”. . .

The idea of the public option ― as first sketched out by Jacob Hacker, a Yale political scientist ― is to create a separate, government-run insurance plan that would compete with private insurers offering coverage through the Affordable Care Act’s exchanges. The hope is that this competition can help keep premiums for all the insurance plans low, particularly if the government-run plan has the ability to dictate low reimbursement rates to doctors, hospitals, drugmakers, and other suppliers of medical care. 

President Barack Obama and Democratic leaders included versions of the public option in their proposals when they first began working on health care reform in 2009. But they ended up jettisoning the idea in response to protests from more conservative Democrats, who were less enthusiastic about government programs and industry groups, like hospitals and insurance companies, that feared what a public option would do to their income streams.

The idea of a Medicare buy-in has been around for even longer, although it, too, appeared in 2009 when Democrats were drawing up health care legislation. The goal, again, would be to give consumers ― in this case, those older than 55 and at greater risk of becoming sick ― one more insurance option if they can’t get coverage through an employer or an existing government program.

Clinton has expressed support for both ideas during the 2016 campaign, noting that she had called for them previously. (She made a public option part of her campaign proposal to reform health care in 2008.) But campaign aides said Saturday’s announcement is a reminder of how seriously she takes the idea ― and her determination to promote it as president.

Support For A Public Option In Health Insurance Is Growing

There is little doubt that the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) improved the health care system in this country. Even those who say they don't like it don't want to give up most of the changes made by the law. But most Americans also know that Obamacare didn't solve all of the problems of our health care system -- and most would like to see either expansion or changes to the law.

And one of those changes that has been growing in popularity is a "public option" -- which would give all Americans the right to purchase insurance from the government (like a Medicare-for-all) instead of buying insurance from a private company. Nearly half of the population (46%) is in favor of a public option being offered, while only 30% would be opposed to that. That's a big difference from when the law was passed a few years ago (when most people seemed to be against a public option for insurance).

And this plurality in favor of offering a public option exists for both men and women, and among all age groups but one -- those 65 and over. I find this strange, because that's the only group (except for the poor) that has government insurance (Medicare). It's not because they don't like Medicare. Medicare (along with Social Security) is one of the most popular programs in the country among those over 65 (and among the general population). Maybe this age group thinks offering a public option to others will somehow affect their own Medicare.

I would be in favor of offering a public option. Actually, I think we should go even further that that -- and put all Americans on a single-payer government-run insurance system -- but the country doesn't seem to be ready for that. They don't yet understand that a single-payer system would not only cover everyone, but would reduce the amount of money currently being sent on medical care. But offering a public option would be good, because it would be one more step toward a single-payer system.

These charts were made from information in a new YouGov Poll -- done between May 23rd and 25th of a random national sample of 1,000 adults, with about a 4 point margin of error.

Grayson Calls For Public Option (Medicare For Anyone Who Wants It)

Think about it: Has anyone ever complained about being canceled by Medicare? No. 

Has anyone ever complained that the Medicare website crashed? No. 

Has anyone ever complained that Medicare refused him coverage? No. 

Has anyone ever complained that Medicare cut him off when his care got too expensive?No. 

Has anyone ever whined that Medicare is socialism? Well, yes. In 1961, Ronald Reagan said that Medicare would bring on a socialist dictatorship. As if. 

The real problem that we have is not that some website doesn't work. The real problem isnot that Obamacare somehow is compelling employers to drop health coverage (because it's not). The real problem is not that some insurance companies are canceling some policies - when has that ever not happened? 

Here are the real problems: 

1. A lot of Americans can't afford health insurance.
2. In many areas of the country, the health insurance companies and the hospitals are monopolies or duopolies, and they control the market.
3. The health insurance companies charge as much as they can, they provide as little care as they can get away with, and they call the difference "profit." They have a conflict of interest with you. They make more money by denying you the care that you need to stay healthy, or even alive.

But there is a solution to these problems. In fact, some Americans have an excellent healthcare system, which is overwhelmingly popular. It provides care from Point Barrow, Alaska, to Key West, Florida, and from sea to shining sea. It's cheap and efficient - 97% of the cost goes directly into providing care. We've invested billions of dollars to make it comprehensive and universal. You may have heard of this healthcare system -- it's called "Medicare."

And, weirdly, we open it only to seniors and the disabled. It's as if we were to say that the minimum age to drive on interstate highways were 65 years old. It's as if we were to say that only seniors could go to public school.

That's just nuts.

What would it cost for everyone else? I'm glad you asked. According to the experts, for full coverage, including the prescription drug benefit, Medicare would cost barely $100 a month for children, and less than $500 a month for people in their sixties. Which is much less than my coverage costs -- and, I would venture to say, probably yours, too (unless you're on it already).

Which is why, back in 2010, I introduced a simple, four-page bill, the 'Medicare You Can Buy Into Act.' The bill allows Americans to buy into Medicare at cost. If you want Medicare, and you pay for it, you've got it. Period. End of story.

I signed up more than 80 co-sponsors in the House, in two weeks.

Poll after poll found that a "public option" like this was very popular with the public, too.Politifact did a survey of surveys, and found that in 28 polls, the average result was 57 percent in favor, and 38 percent against - despite massive negative propaganda spewed out by the Chamber of Commerce. 

Unfortunately, the Affordable Care Act passed without a Medicare buy-in, or any public option. King Lieberman (D-Aetna) vetoed it. That kept private insurance companies exclusively in charge of health coverage for people under 65. We can all see how well that's turned out. These large and profitable corporations have cancelled policies and raised rates at will. They are demanding the power to continue to discriminate against women, to deny coverage to people with existing illnesses, and to pull the plug - literally - on anyone whose coverage becomes too expensive.

If we open up Medicare to everyone who can pay for it, private insurance premiums will drop, because health insurance companies with local monopolies will face much-needed competition. And, to compete, those companies will have to offer better policies -- policies with more comprehensive coverage, with a broader network, and better service.

Now that's what I call true health care reform. That's what I'm talking about.

We want a public option. We need a public option. And that public option already exists - we just need to open it up, to all Americans.

It is never too late to do the right thing.

Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Florida) 

Majority Still Favors Public Option

The House and Senate Democrats are still debating the differences between their health care reform bills (and I use that term loosely regarding the Senate version). Two of the major differences between the bills are whether to include a public option and what kind of tax to impose to pay for the reform. It looks like the Senate may prevail because President Obama has signed on to their version.

But maybe Congress should look at the new CNN/Opinion Research poll before they make up their minds. This new poll, which surveyed 1,021 Americans between January 8th and 10th, shows the public is not enarmored with the Senate bill. A clear majority like the House version better.

For months, a majority of people have wanted a public option to be included in the bill, and that majority is still intact (regardless of the lies being told by the right-wing who want us to believe otherwise). The new CNN/OR poll shows that 54% of the population supports a government-run (or "public") option for health insurance, which is included in the House version of the bill.

The poll also shows the people support the House's way to pay for the reform. The House would put a tax on people with high incomes to pay for it, while the Senate would tax high-end private insurance plans (even if they belong to workers who don't make high salaries). At least 61% of the people like the tax on the wealthy better, including around 50% of those who make $100,000 or more.

The right-wing would like for everyone to believe that a majority are opposed to health care reform, but that is just not true. Although 57% say they are opposed to the current bills (especially the Senate bill), only 45% say they are opposed because the bills are too liberal. The other 12% think the bills are not liberal enough and want more reform. I believe the people in this group (including myself) could be persuaded to support the House bill as long as a public option remained in it.

Senate Democrats are not taking this 12% seriously, and that is a mistake. They think the 12% will wind up voting Democratic even without a public option. They could well be wrong. I can only speak for myself, but I think many others will agree when I say I will not vote for a blue dog Democrat at any level (local, state or national).

I will seek out and vote for truly progressive Democrats next November, but if I get even a whiff of blue dog from a candidate then I will vote third party (or not vote in that race). The Green Party is on many state ballots, and they make an attractive alternative when running against a blue dog.

I urge Congressional Democrats to listen to the people. If you don't, you may wind up paying for it in November.