What's going to happen if the health care bill passes without a public option?

[Joanne98]

My official prediction...

The insurance companies will raise EVERYTHING..

Rates, fees, co-payments EVERYTHING THEY CAN THINK OF!

And they will start their screw everyone "aly aly in come free free free" program within weeks after the bill is signed by Obama.

We KNOW they will do this because this is exactly what the credit card companies did after the 15% cap failed. The bill passes without it and they raised the interest rates on millions of people just TWO WEEKS after wards.

So all you SUCKERS who are happy with your insurance policies, start saving some extra money cause your insurance polices are going to get a lot more EXPENSIVE!

[Laelth]

1. A lot of us will become criminals. n/t

:dem:

-Laelth

[tridim]

2. The President will veto it as promised.

[MNDemNY]

6. I have heard no such specific veto threat.Have you documentation?

[Eric J in MN]

14. Ambiguous Obama remark

"Any plan I sign must include an insurance exchange: a one-stop shopping marketplace where you can compare the benefits, cost and track records of a variety of plans - including a public option to increase competition and keep insurance companies honest - and choose what's best for your family."

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/07/obama-demands-the-bill-i-sign-must-include-public-option.php

[tridim]

19. It's a bit ambiguous but he will not risk signing a bill with no public option.

If he does he'll lose at least half of his base, maybe more, and he knows it.

[Oregone]

3. Why don't you think that will happen even with a public option?

The "public option" wouldn't cover enough people to have much of a strong market influence. Especially if it is written to exclude large segments on the population (as it will be), it wouldn't have any market impact there at all. Its only supposed to cover 10 million people by 2019

[Billy Burnett]

4. Just like the US Lat Am policy... "new and improved".

Suckers.

[Joanne98]

13. lol

[Eric J in MN]

5. That's also what will happen with a lousy public option...

...with these features:

-payments to doctors not based on Medicare rates

-no taxpayer subsidies

-only about 10 million people use it because people who get insurance through their jobs are ineligible, and employers with 25+ employees are ineligible without special permission

Unfortunately, the features I listed are in bills and proposals in Congress.

[Joanne98]

11. True.

[damntexdem]

7. Many of us will be pissed off; and Dem office holders will wonder where their support went ...

come election time. Unfortunately, this will revive the GOP. Meanwhile, we'll all be screwed.

[Greyhound]

8. Pretty good summations so far...

:kick:ing for later

[LaPera]

9. Insurance companies will need to recoup their billion $ in lobbyist & payoff money when....

....it's all said and done by raising rates & premiums....The insurance corporations will be in total control and will be able to do as they please and buy off legislation, politicians for more & more deregulation, it will be very hard & very ugly for the sick, workers, middle class & the poor in years to come....

The insurance companies will raise & set prices and collusion among the big seven insurance corporations. Just like big oil and the banks.

Monopolies that should have been busted up years ago, Teddy or Franklin would of busted them up!

[timeforpeace]

10. We will have been duped, and there is nothing we can do about it, and the situation is even worse?

Yeah, that's about it. But at least that campaigning last year was fun!

[Joanne98]

12. I think we should be getting ready for round two now.

Plan B. We need more seats in the Senate!

[jberryhill]

16. Correct

With legislation, nothing is permanent.

[Echo In Light]

17. Well, there is something people can do, but of course won't

[jberryhill]

15. Then it will be THE ISSUE for midterms /nt

[monmouth]

18. One less democrat for sure....n/t