After listening to all the right wing insurance company lackey’s attacks on the public option its obvious that the smoke screen must be blown away.
Representative Alan Grayson of Florida was recently interviewed by The American Legion Magazine on this subject and has a real no-nonsense explanation of what it means to most readers.
He says that the public option is just that-an option. If you currently have insurance and like it-you can keep it. If you are without any insurance (47 million people don’t), or if you are unhappy with your present insurance you will simply have another choice. The idea is to simply expand Medicare and charge a fair premium. This will provide competition with the existing providers who presently have near monopoly market control and anti-trust immunity. This must change to reduce medical insurance costs.
Currently, one third of the nation is under federal or state care. The public option allows the other two thirds of Americans to benefit as well. If you are on Medicare, the only change for you will be that your co-payments for routine care will be eliminated and the infamous donut hole will be eliminated.
The public option will not cover illegal aliens or ration health care. With the new legislation you cannot be denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition.
Providers will be required to spend 85 percent of your premiums on your coverage. Medicare presently spends 97 percent of premiums on actual health care. Typical insurance companies presently spend 70 percent of your premiums on health care and 30 percent on overhead, paperwork and profits. Insurance companies’ profits have increased 800 percent in the past eight years. Leaving things as they are, caving in to the insurance lobby is not an option. The right option for the average American is the public option.
The Conservatives want no part of this. When it comes to the common good versus big business profits, you know where they stand.
Think about it. It is time to rein in the insurance companies, lobbyists and the fear mongers. Contact your senators and tell them that the people need a break and that you support the public option.
Kenneth M. Curran
Florence
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