I trust the
Bean Counters...the "non-partisan" Congressional Budget Office.
They are seldom wrong.
Here is what the "non-partisan" Congressional Budget Office says about HR 3200.
*ONLY 10 Million Americans will be covered by the Public Plan by 2019.Big Insurance should be very happy.
With the MANDATE and only 10 Million in the
Public Plan after 10 years, they will be raking in the money.
Billions of it will be YOUR Tax Money buying Resorts and Yachts for the Big Insurance CEOs.
If the
Public Plan only enrolls 3% of Americans, will they have
any negotiating power to drive down Health Care Costs?
"Most importantly, the CBO coverage tables undermine the conservative claim that a public option would eliminate private insurance and erode employer-sponsored coverage. The House bill actually increases the number of people who receive coverage through their employer by 2 million (in 2019)
and shifts most of the uninsured into private coverage. By 2019, 30 million individuals would also purchase coverage from the Exchange, but only 9-10 million Americans (or approximately 1/3) would enroll in the public option, the rest would enroll in private coverage."
http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/07/14/house-bill-comes-in-at-1-trillion-undermines-gop-talking-points/ *Health Insurance will be mandated for all Americans, but Providers will be able to refuse Public Plan Participants.
Provider participation is voluntary – Medicare providers are presumed to be participating unless they opt out."
*The Public Option "should" be about 10% cheaper than Private Insurance.I guess that is something, but a
Publicly Owned Government Administered Plan that is open to ALL Americans could cut costs by at least 25%. (Difference between Medicare and Private Insurance administration).
*Many that are receiving Employer Based Insurance will be locked out of the "Exchange" and forced to keep their more expensive insurance."Under the main health bills being debated in Congress, many people with job-based insurance could find it difficult to impossible to switch to health plans on a new insurance exchange, even if the plans there were cheaper or offered better coverage. The restrictions extend to any government-run plan, which would be offered on the exchange.
<snip>
But critics argue that the rules run counter to suggestions from health care reform advocates that an overhaul could provide people with a broader choice of insurance options. The rules, they say, could be especially unfair to some lower-income workers who are enrolled in costly job-based insurance. Also, they argue, the restrictions would hurt the proposed public plan by limiting enrollment."
http://www.newjerseynewsroom.com/healthquest/for-many-workers-insurance-choices-may-be-limited-after-health-care-overhaulThere are many other details that need to be examined, but the one MOST glaring is the prediction that ONLY 10 Million will be enrolled in the
Public Option by 2019. That is minuscule compared to what America is demanding.
Do you believe that the 72% of Americans who are calling for a "Public Option" will be satisfied with this?