Krugman: "President Obama making sense on the public option"

[ProSense]

The president is making sense

Ezra Klein and Matthew Yglesias both catch President Obama making sense on the public option:

QUESTION: Wouldn’t that drive private insurance out of business?

OBAMA: Why would it drive private insurance out of business? If private insurers say that the marketplace provides the best quality health care; if they tell us that they’re offering a good deal, then why is it that the government, which they say can’t run anything, suddenly is going to drive them out of business? That’s not logical.

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[Cha]

1. Gawd, I love it when

Pres Obama uses logic on their whiny a$$es.

He's like a steel trap and they got caught red handed.

[AzDar]

2. Sweet.

:thumbsup:

[bertman]

3. Nice response, Mr. President.

[HopeOverFear]

4. That brother ate his Wheaties today

[Kaleko]

5. Beat them with their own arguments...

smooth and punchy at the same time. :9

That's my Prez.

[murdoch]

6. Kudos to Obama

Yes, I'm one of the people here critical of Obama when he starts walking the DINO path, but I have to give credit where credit is due, this was a great answer.

[ihavenobias]

31. Ditto.

I think that's the only reasonable and logical way of treating our President, i.e. we need to apply both praise and criticism when they are due.

[yodermon]

7. But it *will* drive them out of business..

.. assuming their business is making obscene profits off of the suffering of the sick.
:rofl:

[DrToast]

8. Not necessarily, but we can only hope.

[vaberella]

9. It will.

There's no way that it won't unless they mandate that small businesses has to choose a plan. Then there is absolutely no way that private insurance will be sustainable.

[Beetwasher]

10. Not If They're Smart

If they change their business plans and reduce their overhead they can still thrive by providing a supplemental higher end insurance. Like Fed Ex and UPS are to the post office.

[Cha]

11. Well, there ya go..and I hear

UPS is cheaper now for bigger packages than the Post Office..I still have to investigate.

[Beetwasher]

13. If I Were An Exec At An Insurance Company

I would begin creating a business plan that provides supplemental type of insurance for things the gov't plan won't cover, like elective surgeries, choice of the BEST doctors, dental, braces etc.

The gov't plan really should only cover the bare essentials and use the Dr's that provide the best rates. So there's room for private insurers for people who want coverage above and beyond that.

For example: 2 years ago I tore a ligament in my thumb. The gov't plan would and should provide coverage for my surgery and rehab, however, perhaps they only will cover if certain dr's perform the surgery, those that comply w/ their gov't rates, but I want the BEST hand surgeon, and he doesn't HAVE to comply w/ gov't rates, because he's the best, so he's in demand, PLUS I want plastic surgery so there's no scar and I want the BEST rehab 4x a month, but the gov't is only going to cover the minimun necessary rehab of twice a month etc. There's plenty of room for private insurers to still thrive if they're smart.

In addition, they should get into the business of elective surgeries like plastic surgeries, nose jobs, lyposuction, face lifts etc.

[Cha]

18. Thanks for that illustration, Beetwasher,

it's crystal clear there's room enough for everyone if certain factions would stop greed mongering..hopefully it hasn't numbed their brains irrevocably.

[strategery blunder]

21. In addition, private insurance would have to compete on the merits.

As is, if insurance denies your claim, you're fucked. You have little recourse other than a meaningless, pro forma appeal to an "independent" board that is really stacked with insurance co doctors. An insurance policy holder has no leverage under the current system to force payment of a bona fide claim. State insurance regulators are really hit and miss.

However, if private insurance was less life-and-death and more supplemental in nature, the policyholder would have FAR more leverage with claims payments, for the policyholder knows that carrying private insurance is no longer a life-and-death matter. If supplemental insurance played the types of games and crap with denying claims they do today, the policyholder would have the option to drop that policy so fast the insurance co's executives' heads would spin. Sure, it might mean getting rehab cut from 4x to 2x a month under the government public insurance option, but it's a damn sight better than forking over $$$ to insurance parasites and getting nothing in return when you need to actually USE the insurance, or (under the current system) having no insurance at all and getting completely shut out of the healthcare system as a result.

Insurance companies would be forced to actually make themselves USEFUL. That would not be a bad thing. See France. :)

[CTLawGuy]

36. Yeah

they are an insurance company. They produce nothing. They are professional gamblers, if gamblers could decide not to pay out when they lose.

Therefore, it should be really easy to just start insuring something else.

[BlooInBloo]

12. Wow - this thread has been up for 3 hours, and only 11 responses???

Oh wait - I forgot what forum we were in.

[vaberella]

15. You speak the truth. n/t

[Cali_Democrat]

16. What if the thread title was...."Krugman: Obama not making sense on the public option"

You think more posters would be attracted to that thread? Kinda like how flies are attracted to shit?

:rofl:

[BlooInBloo]

17. (resisting.... temptation....)

[Uzybone]

19. This one would have many more recs

[fascisthunter]

26. the real problem is you can't handle people criticizing their President

well too bad.

[Cha]

28. No, that's not the problem...the constructive

criticism is needed. It's the gratuitious bashing that won't be tolerated.

[Butch350]

32. It not the criticizing - it's the competence level of the individual...

most people just criticiz for the hell of it.

But what I love the most about the individuals who criticize the prez somehow is
just soooooooooo gratifying to me. I just get a real buzz out of your misery.

[Uzybone]

34. Stop projecting nonsense

People can criticize the President all they want, and I can criticize them. Nothing wrong with that.

[Butch350]

33. I think your Newsweek is misleading.

PG didn't seem to disagree with the Presdients health plan in an article he wrote
for the NY Times dated Jun 22nd Mr Uzybone-er

[Cali_Democrat]

14. K&R

[Triana]

20. It's good to have a smart President. GOBAMA!

[glitch]

22. Truth hurts. I'd love to see that repeated by echo chamber of Democrats at every media opportunity

It needs to become a meme for a lot of Republican "arguments" not just on healthcare.
:applause:

edit: finally put that Reagan bullshit "most terrifying words" to its final rest.

[quakerboy]

23. I did enjoy that

Throwing their own arguments back in their faces. I wish more Democrats would pick up on that one in particular. If Government can't do anything well, how is giving people the option to choose a govt plan going to change anything in the all powerful "market" that is SO good at self regulating?

[JDPriestly]

24. Obama is absolutely right about the public option. The question is

whether he can push senators like Feinstein and Baucus and others to vote with him.

[fascisthunter]

25. The Meme That Government can't do what the Private Sector does

is BS and always has been. I think a Public Option would force insurance companies to change their practices to compete... too f'n bad.

[snappyturtle]

27. Amen! nt

[Jakes Progress]

29. Perfect response. Finally. That's what I voted for.

I still want single payer, but have resolved to be placated by tiny progress.

[AlbertCat]

30. Really, it's so easy

Just point out the contradictory logic of Repug arguments. If the MSM did this simple thing on even 50% of the GOP (and Dem) BS.... well just imagine!

[ProSense]

35. Sebelius on the public option

here

[JerseygirlCT]

37. I loved this part

Loved when he threw their arguments right back at them.

It seems to me that we Dems have to keep doing this - playing offense instead of defense, taking hypocrisy right out in public.

He made TONS of sense, and it totally eviscerates their flabby arguments.

[RollWithIt]

38. Clearly, Vulcans have a Public Option

Although in the new Star Trek Universe they are nearly extinct. DAMN YOU JJ ABRAMS! As if the Vulcans would allow some asshole on a mining barge to just fly up and drill a black hole into their planets core.

lol