HEALTHCARE REFORM, NOT INSURANCE REFORM
In the House Bill 3200, everyone will pay for healthcare. Those 'voluntarily without' will be taxed. The full power of the government will be used to collect money from them - you cannot discharge taxes or escape the taxman.
...if you are going to force people to have a plan - or to pay taxes if they do not - you should at least give them a high-quality, public, not-for-profit plan to choose,
It seems to me if you are going to force people to have a plan - or to pay taxes if they do not - you should at least give them a high-quality, public, not-for-profit plan to choose, even over their employer provided under-insurance plan. That's the real give-get.Otherwise, you are just passing out big treats to the wealthy, who will no longer be subsidizing hospital care for the have-nots, and to the insurance companies, who will get a huge boost in enrollments, from the government mandate (as well as an implicit profitability guarantee from forced buyers).
If there are Senators, like Leiberman, who cannot stomach doing that, if one wants to 'start small' as Hillary once opined, but with reasonably big and far-reaching impact, then just start with dental. Offer up a public dental plan that everyone can opt into, re-directing their employer dollars, if they choose. The plan should refuse none and provide at least as good dental as the Senate gets, in terms of caps and co-pays.
The cards will fall in line after that.
Hey, a small, on-target start is better than a bad plan, I think.
The Democrats should be fighting for consumer choice, no matter how much some of them have forgotten. Something like what I've described would really put The People in charge of their healthcare.
