President Obama's Healthcare Reform 'Public Option' Explained - from laist, Aug. 21

[pinto]

This is from August 21 of this year, via 'laist'. The precise details may have changed some, or face changes in the joint conference with the Senate, but this is the gist of the public option. Worth a read/listen, or a reread if you haven't seen it. Tip o' the hat to fellow mod, cbayer, for bringing this back into view. ~ pinto

http://laist.com/2009/08/21/the_healthcare_reform_public_option.php

President Obama's Healthcare Reform 'Public Option' Explained

Really. President Obama's healthcare reform proposal ranks highly among least understood policy proposals in current politics. What follows is a concise and easy to understand explanation of the popular but often muddled "public option" that is contained in national legislation and that forms the centerpiece of President Obama's proposal. This one is great for cocktail parties and local bars, because it's so easy to explain.

<4 minute video from August's Netroots Network conference at laist website>

The speaker is Chris Hayes, DC editor of The Nation magazine, and the setting is the Netroots Nation blogger/media conference last weekend. Healthcare reform was very much a dominant piece of discussion there, as it is around the country.

After the conference, Nicholas Beaudrot of Donkeylicious transformed Hayes' flowchart-gesturing and converted it into an easy to read and share flowchart about the public option. <Can be enlarged at laist website>



Donkeylicious - http://www.donkeylicious.com/2009/08/flowchart.html

[Cleita]

1. So people who don't have Medicare or Medicaid will be forced to buy into

private plans that will be subsidized by means testing. There is no real public option here. A public option should be a government run insurance plan that everyone can be offered. Those who can't afford the plan will get help from subsidies but there has to be a government run insurance to choose from to be considered an public healthcare option. Otherwise it's forcing people to buy a private product that they have no other choice in having. How did the quest for national health care turn into the same old thing with some bandaids added?

[fascisthunter]

2. exactly

[truedelphi]

8. That is how I read it also. n/t

[NYC_SKP]

12. Are you sure?

What are the tan boxes about then?

I don't know myself, but I read these boxes as where people with or without subsidies can go for the public option.

That would include people who aren't already provided employer-paid plans or are on Medicare/Medicaid.

People like me.

:shrug:

[TexasObserver]

3. Recommended, because this imparts important information.

Information, I might add, I'm not happy about.

[NYC_SKP]

4. Tan boxes are Publc Option for those w/o Employer Ins, Medicare, or Medicade?

That is what I understood this to be all along.

I would eagerly subscribe to the P.O., as a male earning more than $37,321 but with only a $200 allowance from employer.

I don't see what's wrong with this picture.

Question: How do they reach conclusion that the Unsubsidized Insurance v Unsubsidized P.O. would be 25M v 3.8M Americans?

:shrug:

[inna]

5. bigger version here:

[NYC_SKP]

6. Where's the Death Panels Square???

:P

[jwirr]

7. This should be printed in every major paper in the USA.

[Bonobo]

9. This should be pinned to the top of DU forums.

So much disinformation is going around at the time that we are doing a DISSERVICE to members of DU.

[NYC_SKP]

10. kick for more opinions...

One would think that something so clear would elicit more discussion.

:shrug:

[redqueen]

11. K&R

Thanks for posting this!

[Parker CA]

13. Kick!