Rep. Woolsey: Day after health care bill is passed, I will introduce bill calling for public option.

[jefferson_dem]

Woolsey: Public Option Too Potent to Ignore
March 8, 2010
By Rep. Lynn Woolsey
Special to Roll Call

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The public insurance option is the Lazarus of the health care debate. Time and time again it has been pronounced dead, only to rise again.
Even now, though it was not included in President Barack Obama’s heath care plan, it remains part of the debate. The public option is included in the House bill, and momentum is building in the Senate, where more and more Members are announcing their support for its inclusion in a reconciliation bill.

The resilience of the public option is due to a simple reason — it is a very good idea. Short of a single-payer system, it is the best way of making health care available and affordable to those who don’t have it, and keeping it affordable for those who do. That is why it is supported by a majority of Americans.

The power of the public option lies in the lower-cost competition it would offer to an industry dominated by regional monopolies. Insurance companies like to appeal to free-market principles to argue against the public option, but their market is anything but free. A recent Urban Institute study found that concentration in the insurance and hospital industries has created markets that “by and large are simply not competitive.”

The public option would offer lower-cost competition to these big, monopolistic insurers. It would not be profit-driven and would have far lower overhead costs than private insurers, enabling it to charge lower premiums. Medicare’s administrative costs, for example, are estimated to account for 2 percent to 5 percent of premiums compared with 25 percent to 40 percent of premiums in the individual insurance market.

<SNIP>

But our health care system is in crisis now. More than 40 million Americans are uninsured, more than 85 percent of them in working families. Another 25 million are underinsured. By the end of this day, 14,000 more Americans will lose their coverage.

Even those with health insurance are struggling to meet its skyrocketing costs. Health care expenses for the average family of four are projected to jump $1,800 yearly. Over the past decade, health care costs have risen on average four times faster than workers’ earnings.

Piecemeal tweaking of the health insurance system will not address this growing problem. We need to reform our health care system, and the public option must be included.

I will fight to include the public option in the final version of the health care reform legislation.

If it is not included, however, it will rise from the dead once again.

The day after the health care legislation is passed, I will introduce a bill calling for the public option.

http://www.rollcall.com/features/Health_Care_Policy_Briefing/health_care/43843-1.html?type=printer_friendly

[ShortnFiery]

1. And the Senate GOP will promptly BLOCK IT along with the avid help of Corporate Democrats ...

such as those from my state (Warner & Webb, VA).

[Clio the Leo]

3. Then you should CALL Warner and Webb ...

... and then get all of your friends to call and get all of THEIR friends to call. Ride their backs. Let them know if that if they want to continue to work for you, they'd better START WORKING FOR YOU.

The teabaggers do it, I dont know why it's so difficult for us to.

[ShortnFiery]

4. You don't get it. They're CORPORATE democrats. Therefore, they will NOT EVER vote for

a robust Public Option.

[denimgirly]

14. Being owned by Corporations they'd gladly use the Constitution as Toilet Paper if payed enough.

Calling and pleading to vote for the people will not work seeing as how they are bought and enjoyed being a whore to the business industry. The only thing that will make them listen is at least $1 million....you call and hand over this and you will have their vote on anything.

[Tom Rinaldo]

2. It needs to be in a Reconciliation Bill, like the rest of HCR, to pass the Senate

It has no chance of getting past a Senate filibuster. At this point it just gives Woolsey some progressive political cover to do this. Pursuing a public option without being willing to use Reconciliation to pass it is pretty much a symbolic act.

[ShortnFiery]

6. This RUSE is about as transparent as saran wrap.

Shame on Woolsey. He knows that we will be stuck with the shitty Senate Bill forcing MANDATES on the people with no improved delivery of health care.

Who the HELL cares if you're potentially covered if you can't afford the premiums? :thumbsdown:

[Lord Helmet]

12. Once it's passed it can be amended by reconciliation.

btw "he" is a she

You are factually inaccurate and also transparent as saran wrap.

[Dr.Phool]

13. It would pass the house with flying colors.

Then Max Baucus, Kent Conrad, and Chuckie Cheese Grassly would get hold of it. And there would be no health care left in it.

[Enrique]

5. better to start working on single payer

public option will not pass while Obama is president. Might as well start thinking long term, and laying the groundwork for a future democratic president who is really interested in reform.

[still_one]

7. That is what they should be doing with the reconciliation, Medicare for All

with an up or down vote

Of course they really don't want to do that because that would not give them the cover they need with the ambiguity they spew

[Festivito]

8. Yea, .. as a joke. It will never get cloture. It's a BAD JOKE.

Never say never. Okay. Fifty more years. That's close to never for me.

What a stupid article, announcement, and idea, those PR guys will try anything these days. Lots of money involved with this one. LOTS.

[QC]

9. Bill Clinton was going to make improvements to NAFTA once it passed.

That was almost fifteen years ago.

[frylock]

17. its only been FIFTEEN years!!1!

[QC]

20. HE DOESN'T HAVE A MAGIC WAND!1!1111!!

[Faryn Balyncd]

10. Once the mandate passes, it will be TOO LATE!!!!!

[MarjorieG]

11. Let's dual track Medicare to 55 for mid-terms, reconciliation and life-saver to most unemployed.

[denimgirly]

15. Introducing it after the fact is meaningless -- Once it's passed noone is looking back.

This is just political theater and those playing up the Public Option thing in Washington are just trying to look good when this comes to an end and it is not included. This new gimmick of introducing it after the bill passes he knows wont get far...everyone knows that.

[Cha]

16. THe Health Care Reform Bill is a solid

Foundation to build on ..why not start right away.

[HughMoran]

18. Good - don't stop fighting for the PO just because the base bill passed

Good for Lynn.

[Uzybone]

19. Primary her!! She wants the big insurance globa pharma big wall street giveway bill passed !!221!!!

[Generator]

21. Lord when we aren't being led by the corrupt

we are being led by the just plain dumb. Obama can wrap these sweeties around his finger like no tomorrow.