‘Public option’ opt-out isn’t real

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2:53 PM Thursday, November 5, 2009

The latest health care approach to have a public option with a state opt-out is a shell game generated by the Democrats. Sen. Harry Reid says the states can opt out (from receiving services), but he doesn’t mention opting out from the taxes to provide these services or possible penalties for opting out.

No governor will opt out from federal services when the people of the state have already paid taxes for these services. The public school is an example of the disconnect between taxes and services where people who choose non-public schools pay twice for their children’s’ education.

First they pay taxes for public schools, whose services they don’t use if they choose a non-public school. Then they pay for their children’s’ education out of their own pockets.

In the health care issue, people will pay new taxes for the public option, but won’t use it if they choose a non-public option.

As to penalties for not choosing the public option, President Carter signed a bill to limit highway speeds to 55 miles per hour. Those states that did not abide by this law were denied federal transportation funds.

Phillip Hermes

New Carlisle

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The public option is more than a healthcare plan - it is the vehicle libs/progressives want to use to take over the healthcare system. Look at Tennessee and Mass and one can see the enrollment in a public program far exceeded expectations. Competition could occur simply by removing state boundries but the competition excuse is nothing more than that. Those that favor the PO practice incrementalism because they can't sell their real intent and the PO is the 1st increment in gvmt run healthcare

TRS
10:55 AM, 11/6/2009

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Phil, I think you're confused about how the bill works.

The public option is just a health care plan, which should cost less than other plans. Since subisidies apply to any plan, it costs the government less to subsidies less expensive plans.

Thus, states blocking the public option will cost MORE than states allowing it, as they'll exclude a lower-price plan. They should be required to pay MORE in taxes, since they're creating MORE spending by forcing people to pay more for insurance.

Miles
10:48 AM, 11/6/2009

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