We will insure millions more hard working Americans by making health insurance MORE affordable (not free or government-paid) by encouraging greater competition, promoting preventive care and ending insurance company discriminatory practices. Currently, it cost you and me $billions every year when those w/o insurance go to the emergency room for basic care.

We will also invest in productivity improvements, and save in the longer term, by making the health care system and infrastructure more efficient.

That point has been made, Redux, the difference between affordable primary care and going to the emergency room because they "have" to treat you.

This point has fallen upon deaf ears. You have to repeat it a few more times before that point could be conceded and the argument could go on to other issues which aren't so clearly resolved. ;)

Don't forget affordable/available preventive care, so that neither of those options are necessary.

And the insurance industry is going to push down all those cost through much higher premiums and the Dems are going to tax the hell out of everyone with jobs to pay it. So in the end it will cost us the $billions every year in paying for insurance for everyone else.

Oh and don't forget none of this really starts for a few more years and in the end the lie of giving everyone insurance will come to fruition as all estimates say there will still be some 12million people without insurance.

Not covering illegals will make it way more than 12 million, but I'm ok with that.

You know the bleeding hearts would never stand for that. I still say we come up with a way to charge their country of origin for their care. Maybe we could dock their monetary support from the federal government.

Too complicated, just throw the fuckers out.

The House bill has provisions encouraging preventive care and wellness programs including the elimination of co-pays for annual hearing and vision exams. ;)

OBRA not COBRA. There hasn't been any money in there for a long time.

What has been allocated to COBRA has been great, I have not said one bad thing about it.

After all the fuss, public health plan covers few
 

Link

Hmm I wonder if those secret meetings with the Healthcare industry leaders & the White House discussed this.

I agree that all the fear-mongering about the public option (and govt take over) crowding out private insurers was just that....baseless rhetoric. Or, on the other side that it would be a cure all for the system.

I am still of the opinion that the public option is critical to stimulate competition and keep the private insurers honest (or more honest) as well as fill a niche to prevent more people falling through the cracks.

But it is far from a European socialist model or the first step in a secret plan to move the country to a single payer system.

Two percent?! What the ???????

Two percent of the population younger than 65 = 5+ million people either unemployed or currently uninsured and above the poverty level.

But because they represent a higher risk -- generally unable or unlikely to have had regular check-ups or practice preventive care and many of whom might have chronic health issues -- they are the least insurable.

Should they be ignored?

Perhaps, perhaps not - depends upon the cost.
Why is this "Public Option" now renamed the "Consumer Option" (lol) such a big deal if it only covers 2% of the people?