Editorial: Consequences of the 'public option'

By: Matt Zimmerman

Posted: 6/18/09

At the heart of the proposed "American Health Choices Act" is the "public option." This gives every American the option of buying into a health care plan run by the federal government.

Ostensibly, this would provide competition and choice that would put downward pressure on the price of health care and improve quality of care.

While many recoil at insinuations that President Obama and the Democrats are pushing European-style socialism, this is precisely what they are doing.

Obama is quick to say that he does not want to interfere in the doctor-patient relationship, that he wants to give consumers a choice, and that he wants to foster competition, but look at the consequences.

According to a study by the Lewin Group, the consequences of this plan would force 120 million Americans off their employer-provided health plans and into a government plan.

Rather than simply covering the elderly, disabled, and poor, this plan would extend government health care to all Americans. Because a taxpayer funded program will always be able to undercut any private plan, and considering the plan is funded by taxing private health care plans, this plan provides the perverse incentive for business to drop their employees into government-run plans.

Interestingly, this plan will only entice 28 million of the 49 million Americans without health insurance to purchase health insurance.

Rather than trying to help those who need help, the Democrats are taking advantage of the fact that they make the laws to distort the free market. It will make it impossible for the free market to compete and it will therefore force 100 million Americans into a health care plan in which the federal government inserts itself into the decisions that should be made between the patient and his or her doctor.

If this sounds far-fetched, just consider that Congress already keeps the prices 20-30% below the costs of private health care plans. Enrollees in Medicare and Medicaid are also currently bound by the federal government in what medicines and procedures that will be paid for and therefore, what health care they will receive. Also consider that the man Obama attempted to appoint as Secretary of Health and Human Services, Tom Daschle, advocated the British policy of denying life-saving health care to the elderly in an attempt to save money.

Instead of attempting to help people without health insurance - a noble goal - the Democrats are using their majority in Congress to push an agenda that ignores the people without health insurance and instead attacks Americans who are happy with their health care plans, forcing them into government-run plans in which they will be a third party to the decisions that effect them.

This plan insures that those without health insurance will remain without health insurance, those that are happy with their health insurance will be forced into inferior plans, and the wealthy elite will still be the few able to purchase the best health care in the world.

Matt Zimmerman is a political science graduate student. He can be reached at 581-7942 or at DENopinions@gmail.com.