Before the 4th of July weekend, I decided I had called plenty of Congresspeople and decided to take it up a notch. So I contacted my Senators (Boxer and Feinstein) and my Rep (Barbara Lee) and requested to meet with them during the 4th of July recess. The process was remarkably easy. Boxer and Lee wanted faxes to Wash D.C. and Feinstein was ok with a request via email to Wash D.C.. I didn't get a meeting with any of them and
with the weekend over, was starting to write it off, when I got phone calls from each office. Lee and Feinstein's office wanted another email/fax to their local office to set up a meeting, while Boxer's office was happy to schedule an appointment over the phone directly.
So, on Friday morning, I will be meeting with an aide to Senator Barbara Boxer to talk about health insurance reform (WOOT!). This will be my first meeting of this kind.
More over the jump
I plan to take a pragmatic approach and focus on asking for support on the best aspects of the House, Finance and HELP bills. I don't expect the aide to be argumentative, but I want to have strong arguments behind me, so here's where I'm asking for Kossacks help. Please consider this question:
All three bills will have a marketplace in which private insurers will offer plans that are guarenteed issue, so that you can't be turned away due to health conditions (or any reason), the premiums' rise are limited and while there is a mandate, subsidies are available for those that can't afford health insurance.
So given that with private plans, denials due to pre existing conditions,recissions and immense premiums jumps will be prohibited,
why do we need a public option?
Is it simply a matter that insurance companies are 'evil' and will try to skirt those rules any way they can or are there other benefits to a public option being part of the system. I can think of some but am much more interested in hearing what other people have to say.