Reply #10: The quotes that Dr. Himmelstein was objecting to are not in the OP...

[slipslidingaway]

after months of Dean confusing the issues and misrepresenting the two systems, Dr. Himmelstein had enough. Dean has been speaking all over the country and has had many appearances in the media so there are probably many other examples.

Now the organization and doctors who are the biggest threats to the insurance companies are the bad guys because they called Dean out on his misuse of the terms.

:wtf:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DitCTKPL-xI

"...What Obama's plan essentially does is give you the choice of whether you want to be in a single-payer or private insurance plan..."



http://www.blueoregon.com/2009/06/dean-wyden-the-public-option-single-payer-and-the-rest-of-the-kitchen-sink.html

"Dean also said that single-payer is pretty tough to differentiate from the public option.

"Public option is like single payer. It gives consumers the choice..."


http://www.democracynow.org/2009/7/17/gov_howard_dean_on_his_prescription

"AMY GOODMAN: Explain what is the public option, as it’s been presented.

HOWARD DEAN: For the average American, they should best think of it as Medicare..."


Dean speaking at the AHIP Convention...public option not as bad as you think.

:shrug:

http://healthplans.hcpro.com/content.cfm?content_id=234081&topic=WS_HLM2_HEP
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=5792680&mesg_id=5792680

"But Dean considers public health insurance a necessity. "I think it is absolutely essential. And I don't think health reform is worth doing without a public option."

"What the president is proposing to do is say, if you like what you have, you can keep it. If you're comfortable with the private insurance market, you can keep it. Not only that, but we'll help you buy it. There will be a government subsidy based on your income, particularly helpful to small businesses, that you will receive to buy healthcare in the private market," Dean said. "But you will also have a choice of buying into a public plans such as Medicare or some other public plan. And I'm one of the few defenders of that in this room."

"Now I know people in this room, in this industry, are very, very fearful," he said. "This is the center of opposition."

He looked at the rows of representatives of Aetna, Blue Cross, and dozens of other companies assembled and said, "Your living is at stake here. But I don't think it's going to be as tough as you think it is."

The reason, he said, is that most of the nation's CEOs, despite "incredible inflation," prefer to have employer based health insurance. He emphasized that there is still a role for private health insurance, but one that would be shared by public plans..."