House Democrats Revive Health Care Public Option To Reduce Deficit

[ProSense]

House Democrats Revive Health Care Public Option To Reduce Deficit

Sahil Kapur

The public option is back … sort of.

House Democrats on Tuesday introduced the “Public Option Deficit Reduction Act,” which would provide consumers the choice to opt into a government-run health insurance plan in the Obamacare exchanges.

The bill, which almost certainly cannot pass in the Republican-controlled House, is a mostly symbolic effort meant to keep the public option alive as a policy prescription. It is sponsored by Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), who is on the Energy & Commerce health subcommittee, along with Energy & Commerce Ranking Member Henry Waxman (D-CA) and 43 other lawmakers.

“The Public Option Deficit Reduction Act will give health care consumers more choice and lower their premiums,” said Schakowsky. “And, by providing a lower-cost alternative to private insurance, it would put pressure on all insurers to lower their premiums in order to compete.”

Citing an earlier estimate by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, Schakowsky expects it to reduce the deficit by some $100 billion over 10 years by boosting competition among insurers and paying providers at Medicare rates. The 2010 version of the public option was expected to reduce the debt by $68 billion over 10 years.

- more -

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2013/01/democrats-revive-public-option.php

[upaloopa]

1. It's a good idea which would lower costs

to the consumer and more choices while forcing private insurance to compete in the marketplace therefor the House repukes are not in favor of it.

[ProSense]

2. Why stop there?

Imagine money-saving policies that actually help people.

<...>

What does this have to do with the debt? Quite a bit, actually. The public option, according to the Congressional Budget Office, would save about $70 billion over the next decade, and Schakowsky believes the figure could reach $100 billion.

Indeed, why stop there? There are related Democratic policies that would also move the nation closer to a balanced budget.

The CBO estimates that passing the Dream Act would cut the deficit by about $2 billion over the next decade, while the CBO has also found that a cap-and-trade policy -- which Republicans helped create and supported as recently as 2008 -- would save about $20 billion over the next decade.

A billion here, a billion there -- pretty soon we're talking about real money.

- more -

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/01/16/16545893-the-return-of-the-public-option

Add a jobs bill.

[patrice]

3. Look to your coverage one and all, for profit, for overhead, and for effectiveness. nt

[Zorra]

4. "The bill, which almost certainly cannot pass in the Republican-controlled House"...

You have to have something seriously wrong with you in order to be a member of the republican party.

The republican party does nothing that is good for this country, or the people of this country, whatsoever.

Here is one more perfect example of this fact.

[Scurrilous]

5. Good news!

[Jefferson23]

6. K&R

[uponit7771]

7. REALLY smart move, they should be loud with this...make them put up or shut up. The con support of..

...the public option is pretty big IIRC