Senator Grassley (R-Iowa) said, "I recognize, though, the fear that if a public option [single payer] is run through Washington, and there are incentives to try to tamp down costs ... that private insurance plans might end up feeling overwhelmed."
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I can understand the worry that private insurance will be "overwhelmed" by a public National Health Insurance policy. But THEY have to understand that THEY (insurance corporations) have had control of our health care until now and have put us where we are today. It's just not working for most.
It's time for a revolutionary change -- a REAL change. As long as insurance companies remain prominently in the mix, our health care will not get a whole lot cheaper. We will still be paying large administrative fees and other costs that really have nothing to do with the doctor-patient relationship. Health care is one of those necessities that does not need expensive advertising, sales commissions, huge CEO salaries, share-holder dividends, perks for care givers, lobbyists, etc. Health care is one of those necessities that people will seek regardless of who is paying the bill.
Yes, people worry about lost jobs, but sometimes we have to adjust to new technologies and demands. For example, there was once a great whaling industry. When petroleum became plentiful and whale oil was no longer in demand, the whale industry went away (and it's probably a good thing because the whales would have eventually become extinct). When wonderful farming technology became available, much of the manual labor such as picking cotton disappeared.
Now it's time to shift the insurance industry to focus on OTHER types of insurance to make their money. Health care should not be their cash cow for staying in business. We will always need insurance of all kinds -- just not for health care.
A comparison: When the federal SCHIP became unfunded, Hawaii initiated their own children's insurance plan. I read recently that they were going to change their state plan because it was intended for children of families with low incomes. Because the state insurance was so good, many families who could afford private insurance for their children were dropping the children from their private insurance in favor of putting them on the state insurance. (I'm sure insurance lobbyists were pressuring Hawaii's congress to make a change.)
We do not need to experiment with a "hybrid" of public and private. It's time to change COMPLETELY to a national public insurance. That does NOT mean that the government will "run" our health care. It will simply be a common pool of money that will pay our bills. WE still will choose our own doctors and hospitals, and doctors will prescribe our treatments. Payment will just be more efficient and will eliminate the for-profit MIDDLE man.