Sen. Reid Indicates Support For A Public Option That Is Privately Run - Think Progress

[WillyT]

Sen. Reid indicates support for a public option that is privately-run.
By Faiz Shakir at 8:25 am

<snip>

“We have a problem in America and it’s called the private insurance industry,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said in a private meeting with health care providers this week. While Reid recognizes the problem, he isn’t fully supportive of the solution President Obama, the Senate HELP Committee, and the House are pushing — which is, a public health insurance option that competes with private insurers and keeps them honest. The Nevada Senator said he “doesn’t think the public option ought to be a government run program like Medicare,” but instead favors a “private entity that has direction from the federal government“:

“I’ve told people, whoever will listen, that I am in favor of the public option,” Reid said, adding he thinks it’s essential in order to provide competition for private insurance companies that are exempt from anti-trust laws. “We’re working now to try to come up with a program that would allow that to take place.”

Reid went on to say that most people “misunderstand” a public option as “some government run program.”

“But there are many ways we can do it,” he said. “One would be to have an entity like Medicare. I really don’t favor that. I think what we should have is a private entity that has direction from the federal government.”

Reid did not elaborate further on what that would look like.

A Reid spokesman explained to TalkingPointsMemo that Reid is expressing his support for a co-op, an idea proposed by Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND) that is finding support in the Senate Finance Committee. Reid “is willing to consider a co-op if he is shown it works to make insurers honest,” spokesman Jim Manley said.

<snip>

Link: http://thinkprogress.org/2009/08/29/reid-coop-support/

:argh:

:mad:

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

1. Why? The cost savings are supposed to come from the lower overhead of a publicly run system

Remember? The 3% Medicare costs for overhead vs the 20- 30% overhead of the private industry.

Reid must be one the people trying to make a "level playing field" for the insurance industry.

Good job Harry! The insurance industry Santa is keeping you on the "nice" list.

[Jackpine Radical]

2. More of a co-opt than a co-op.

He's trying to take on the coloration of a "public option" without it actually being a public option.


BULLSHIT!

[WillyT]

5. Exactly !!!

Major Bullshit!!!

:puke:

[eShirl]

3. privately run = accountable to whom?

sounds like a bad idea to me

[Bandit]

4. So in other words he thinks people should profit from Health Care

IMO the only people that should make money are the doctors and the nurses and what they make should not be exorbitant. None should make any more than, say the President of the USA, or their US Senator.

[Jackpine Radical]

7. Yes, as one myself, I agree about the providers' income.

The first step would be to heavily subsidize med & health professional schools so they don't come out with those horrendous debts. I made it through to a PhD on assistantships, but that was in the '70's. People aren't able to do that much anymore. You either have to be wealthy or mortgage your soul.

[spanone]

6. wow, give private industry the checking account of the federal govt...great idea

N O T

[Jackpine Radical]

8. Didn't we already do that? And throw in the publicly owned credit card as well?

[DrDan]

9. the real problem is that we are removing a HUGE source of campaign $$$$

so the answer is simple - allow the public insurance entity provide obscene campaign contributions to our senators and representatives. . . .

[lib_wit_it]

10. The public option is dead. Long live Single Payer! Support Senator Kennedy's vision.

Info on single payer:
http://www.grahamazon.com/sp/whatissinglepayer.php
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dv4Aos-TBH8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jng4TnKqy6A

And this action group:
http://www.madashelldoctors.com/
same group on facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=115217378490

[WillyT]

11. Kick !!!

:kick: