Can there be real reform without the public option?
Written by Ann Pietrangelo on August 17th, 2009 in Health Care Policy, In The News, Linked Articles.
The public option is not an essential component of health care reform. That’s the sentiment that Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, President Obama, and others are putting out, signaling their willingness to compromise on one of the most controversial items in the reform bills currently being debated.
The idea they are floating is that a health insurance exchange — without a public option — will do the trick. So it’s back to the private insurers. But there is no reason to believe that the fight will end there. The rest of the reforms that are designed to protect people with pre-existing conditions, or those who cannot afford coverage, will be attacked. Insurers are happy to court the young and healthy, but they are not interested in helping the sick. A small bandage on a gaping wound is of little use.
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