While researching something esle, I came across this gem which indicates A. how long health insurance has been broken in this country and B. Where conservatives have a history of support for ideas like the public option currently on the table.
It's no surprsie to see this quote from the President:
"Good health care should be readily available to our citizens. I believe the public will always be better served by a pluralistic system than a monolithic one, by a system which creates many effective centers of responsibility-both public and private- rather than one that concentrates authority in a single governmental source."
Clearly, not the current President, and clearly a conservative point of view. This quote is from Richard Nixon circa 1973. What's important is that this holds the main ideals of present day conservatism - distrust or governmental control, the "genius" of the private system- but still finds room for common sense-the need for a public option for health care.
Under Nixon's plan, private health insurance companies would underwrite the government program. The program would be paid for by employers, employees and the government.It would be available to the poor, the unemployed and the self-employed.
While not quite exactly what progressives have in mind, it shows how conservatives can adopt an idea, possibly something like the Heathy Americans Act co-sponsored by Crapo (R- ID) that includes a public option. Add a mandate for insurance coverage pushed by the insurance companies (for their own greed, no doubt, but towars the progressive goal of complete coverage) and you have a decent bill.