According to the AP's Erica Werner
Baucus said the tax-free benefit packages Americans now enjoy are a big factor in the high costs of the country's health care system, because they provide workers free or low-cost access to too many health care services.
I will now debunk this lame attempt at logic from Max Baucus or a slave-master desired interpretation of Baucus' remarks.
It's not the tax free packages that are driving up healthcare access costs: it's the tolls exacted by the insurance companies who control those packages that arbitrarily and capriciously rise to pay off a bloated Corporatocracy.
Workers having access to too much health care is not driving up the costs: rapacious Pharma, unchecked corporate hospital chains, overpaid CEO's,CFO's and their mistresses, corrupt and complicit bureaucrats, and donations to Max Baucus are why health-care is expensive.
And don't even get me started on how expensive lead plated insurance is after paying ever increasing deductibles and co-pays. Also, I don't believe I've ever had premium free insurance in my life, except...wait a minute, that's right, when I was a public servant receiving publicly provided healthcare in the Navy. My grandpa used to sell me on the military with his VA benefits. They weren't perfect, but, he was grateful to have them after retiring as a Chief Master Sargeant in the USAF with 20 years of service. You may wish to reconsider who it is you serve.
Now, if by workers, you mean gilded-pantied executive pigs and sausage collar senators, then yes Max, you might be on to something. Calling these bloated blights "workers" would however,be a contradiction in terms. I suggest you check your facts Max. Even Montanans are not happy with you, so who is it that you're representing?
UPDATE -
The Obama administration and Senate Democrats are debating a health care reform outline that will insist upon a public option for insurance but leave open the possibility for it to be kicked in via triggers.
Schumer says this -
Senator Chuck Schumer has insisted that, if anything, "reasonable criteria for triggering a public plan has already been met."
"Premiums are high," the New York Democrat said, "and either one or two insurers dominate the market. As we've seen with Medicare part D, a trigger option has so far meant no public option at all."