GOP terrified of a public healthcare option
Although the GOP gives a lot of lip-service to the idea that the government cannot competently administer services—and when in power makes sure that comes true by sabotaging government agencies—they don’t really believe it. See how terrified they are of offering a government-run health plan option. If they really believed what they say, they would have no objection, since (in their view) a government-run program could never compete successfully against private programs. But in their hearts (or whatever occupies that space in Republicans) they know that a public program would be the first choice for many. From the Center for American Progress:
The Wall Street Journal reports today that "Congress is poised for a battle over whether an ambitious health-care overhaul should include a new government-run health plan to compete with private companies in the effort to cover the uninsured." President Obama and top Democrats on the relevant House and Senate committees all favor a public plan, ideas for which have ranged from a Medicare-like system to one "managed by a private contractor but in which government assumes the risk." However, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Senate Finance Committee ranking member, has said that he is "adamantly opposed" to any provision that includes a public plan, even though he indicated last week that he that might be willing to compromise with advocates of a new public health care plan. "At this point, everything is on the table," he said. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) said that reform with a public plan has no GOP support in the Senate. "Having talked to a lot of senators, I wouldn’t have any Republicans on the Healthy Americans Act as cosponsors if we had a public option," he said. The House is expected to include a public provision in its version of a health care reform bill and the American public appears to be on board. A new poll released today by Lake Research found that 73 percent of voters "want everyone to have a choice of private health insurance or a public health insurance plan while only 15% want everyone to have private insurance."
