Why are people surprised about the details?

[liberalpragmatist]

I see a lot of people freaking out that the insurance exchange won't be available until 2013. And that the public plan won't be available until then and will be restricted to people eligible for the exchange (the long-term unemployed, the self-employed, employees of small businesses).

People seem surprised that most people would not be permitted to buy a plan on the exchange or the public option. And people seem surprised that the public option would have be self-sustaining via premiums.

THIS IS ALL OLD NEWS. These details were all in the HOUSE bill that was released in July. The House bill does allow the public option to use Medicare rates at the outset, but that may not make it to the floor vote due to Waxman's compromise with the Blue Dogs. And the House bill does allow the administrator of the exchange to open the exchange and the public plan to larger businesses over time, but not for several years.

[sandnsea]

1. They're not surprised, they pot stirrers n/t

[scheming daemons]

7. +1.... they had their talking points ready BEFORE the speech

[jtrockville]

2. Not surprised. But until tonight's speech I held out hope.

I was hoping against hope for change.

[ipaint]

3. When you have people like dean saying the public option is just like medicare for all

when the proposed PO in the house bills is just the opposite, it's pretty easy to see why folks get confused.

[2Design]

8. yes - dean is my guy and with him - we would have health care

he said the public option was needed or it is not health care reform - well it is not health care reform - just more money for insurance companies - stocks will rise tomorrow and the corporatist will celebrate and republicans are happy because they will win in the next elections because we gave away the farm even while invoking a 60 year fight by the late Ted Kennedy - this is terrible - I was hoping for more - what I got is another wishy washy politician - yes I know we would be worse off under McCain.Palin - not to worry I will probably be dead by the time we have another democrat for president or any health care - this sucks

[Fire1]

12. Oh good grief. n/t

:hurts:

[sandnsea]

13. Especially old people afraid of losing their Medicare

Medicare Part E, For Everyone, is cute and catchy.

Except it terrifies seniors and they're the ones opposing reform to begin with.

[JimWis]

4. I agree with you. Well said.

[HughMoran]

5. Yes, anybody who's a Dem and posts here should know this by now

The fact that they are pretending not to have known these details is a sign that they are surely here to start fights.

[shadowknows69]

6. Not surprised, just still don't like it.

How many will die in four years?

[sinkingfeeling]

9. Because, like many in this country, they did not read or they couldn't comprehend the drafts.

[Dragonfli]

10. I don't know, many tried to tell them the PO turned into toothless window dressing

To sell Romney-care to the gullible.
Mostly they refused to believe it, claiming things like it would compete with insurance companies and such nonsense.

If it were meant to compete it would be allowed to compete. It has been clear to me what bull it was since I read the bills as they were made available.

Where did all these people get these false hopes from? A True public Option was traded away quite some time ago.

[Fire1]

11. Simply put. They never understood it in the first place AND

consequently, WERE SPREADING LIES just like their so called counter parts.