Yesterday, Olympia Snowe and fourteen other senators cleared the Baucus health care reform bill out of the Senate Finance Committee. It has much farther to go and there are big elements fighting it. From "The Daily Beast" this morning, an excerpt:
"The opposition party's hostility to this modest reform looks hysterical, and the interest groups fighting against reform don't really seem to grasp how easy on them Obama and Congress are being. Private-sector players, in particular, ought to recognize that the Senate Finance Committee’s bill is incredibly generous to their interests by international standards and that if that generosity isn't rewarded with political success, next time around they're likely to see proposals they like a whole lot less."
We still don't have a public option and, frankly, without it, what's the point? We need insurance companies to compete with something other than themselves. Whether or not they openly collude, there isn't enough competition for any of us to get a real choice. This goes far beyond health care. Have you tried re-pricing your homeowner's or automobile insurance of late?
I am often struck by the comments of people living outside the U.S. who are satisfied with their government provided health care. Are they totally satisfied? Some are. And some are dissatisfied. For the most part, however, I tend to see more pro government provided health care than con. In fact, much of the criticism of those other health care plans seems to come from within the U.S.
U.S. citizens need affordable health care plans and that includes a public option. More hurdles to clear.
