Public Health Insurance This Year: On or Off?
The biggest mystery in the health insurance world is the search for cancer cure…umm not quite, that has been relegated to number 2 in the rankings. Today the biggest mystery in health care is, Will legislation this year include a public health insurance plan. So much hinges on this question. For the insured, uninsured, government, private health insurance companies, doctors and for the exchequer.
A clue to this mystery which would have baffled Watson, if not Holmes is given by a top democrat. It seem sweeping health care bills are going to be passed. Definitely the health care plans envisaged are not going to be swept under the carpet. The bills would be crafted over the next few months aiming to pass them in the summer.
The biggest bone of contention in this omnivorous animal of an act is whether a public health insurance plan would compete with private ones. The two arguments are Democrats: an increase of competition is healthy; Republicans: private plans would be forced to go out of business. Which side are you on?
Max Baucus says that democrats are growing more flexible in their thinking on the issue. Baucus and Iowa Republican Grassley are working on the legislation in the senate. There is likely to be far more debate in the weeks to come. There will be a couple of more roundtables on expanding insurance coverage as well as pay for a health care overhaul.
My side, and I am diplomatic depends on the implementation of the proposal. I think there is considerable leeway for everyone to benefit if the health care system is redone.
