Politics

The Public Option Remains The Best Way to Control Costs, Promote Competition

By Karina

Polls continue to show that Americans strongly support a public option because it lowers cost, expands choice, and keeps the insurance companies honest. While amendments adding a public option to the Senate Finance Committee health insurance reform bill did not pass this afternoon, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions bill, along with America?s Affordable Health Choices Act as passed by all three House Committees, contains a public option.

In addition, a survey earlier this month by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found 63 percent of physicians support a health reform proposal that includes both a public option and traditional private insurance. If the additional 10 percent of doctors who support a public-only option are included, then 73 percent of doctors across the country support inclusion of a public option:

As Speaker Pelosi has said, “Any real change requires the inclusion of a strong public option to promote competition and bring down costs. If a vigorous public option is not included, it would be a major victory for the health insurance industry.”

Full post as published by The Gavel on September 29, 2009 (boomark / email).