I think one thing that should motivate those vaguely, possibly happy with private insurance.

[GivePeaceAchance]

There maybe some not likely many but some who have private insurance may stick with it, or do it for old times sake. The downside would be is all the money they've thrown at trying to derail President Obama's public option will be passed on in costs to insurance customers. So as amatter of financial survival making sure there is a robust public option is the only way and in all peoples intrest with or without insurace. Just a little motivator for any possible Republican voters who are lurking who feel their alright jack.

[MrModerate]

1. The governing class doesn't care . . . they're covered, no matter what.

Those with expensive -- but highly subsidized -- employer-provided insurance are convinced that if health care was made universal, the quality of care that their (and their companies') money pays for would go down. They wouldn't get the hotel-quality accommodations when hospitalized or have access to the celebrity doctor they consider so important. It's entirely the "I've got mine so drop dead" mentality.

Except for those who actually work for the insurance companies/ghouls, who realize that their industry would contract by a factor of 10 if single payer makes it into law.

[lindisfarne]

2. People want to see how the public option works. There are bound to be problems in getting it

started. This is one good reason for restricting who is eligible at first. You're going to have less screaming from people who didn't have any insurance to begin with. Plus, it's a smaller number of people to integrate into an essentially new system (albeit built on existing parts to some extent).

Everyone will eventually be able to choose public option if they want to. If public option has lower overhead, it will be cheaper, and people will begin to choose it.

[scubadude]

3. My guess is they will force you to buy coverage, if you can't, public will kick in.

There will be some mandate for businesses to force them to go to private insurance companies. The insurance companies will come out smelling like roses.

I don't believe massive defection to the public option will be possible. I guess I'm just a wee bit jaded, but that is my prediction. The pols will cover their behinds from both directions.

Scuba