The debate over Medicare begins anew after the Ryan VP pick.
To insure the health and longevity of Medicare, it should have been the building block of health care reform by opening it up to those who were priced out of the private insurance market.
Seniors on Medicare love it. This cannot be denied. Now this love affair will be tested by Ryan's budget and the Tea Baggers.
We could have had a two-tiered system of paying for health care. Those earning more would not have been allowed to buy into Medicare, the rest of us could have bought into it and the premiums would have been based on earnings.
Workers who are yoked to jobs due to health insurance would have been free to change jobs or start a business.
Also another option could have been proposed similar to Medigap where deductibles and co-pays would have been covered for a small monthly fee so no one puts off necessary medical care due to cost.
The battle then would have been fought in a different arena, that in the business community, both large and small, who would have been attracted to the "public option" due to lower premiums brought about by cutting the profit margins that private health care insurance companies need to stay in business.
It seems to me, having a "public option" open to all would have been a "job creation" mechanism we needed.
My question is, is it too late for a "public option?"