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The Fading Public Option
New York Times ^ | September 13, 2009 | Robert Pear

Posted on 09/13/2009 3:49:47 AM PDT by reaganaut1

...

As a presidential candidate, Barack Obama said he would “establish a new public insurance program” alongside private health care plans.

That proposal took on a life of its own, but it now appears to be dying, a victim of an ineffectual White House strategy, the president’s failure to argue passionately for the “public option” and all-out opposition by the insurance industry and much of the health care industry.

In the campaign, Mr. Obama said the public plan would compete with private insurers on the price and quality of care, thus benefiting consumers. What Mr. Obama did not foresee is that, to some people on the right and the left, it would become the most important issue in the debate over health care, touching off a battle over the role of government in one of the nation’s biggest, fastest-growing industries.

Once in office Mr. Obama and his advisers have sent conflicting signals about how critical a government-run health plan would be. He prefers a public plan but is open to other ideas.

Dancing around the issue for eight months, Mr. Obama has seemed, at various times, pragmatic, flexible or indecisive.

“I just want to figure out what works,” Mr. Obama said in March at a White House forum. If he could drive down health costs and expand coverage “entirely through the market,” he said, “I’d be happy to do it that way.” And “if there was a way of doing it that involved more government regulation and involvement, I’m happy to do it that way, as well,” he added.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: healthcare; publicoption
I'm glad if this bullet is dodged, but non-profit "co-ops" seeded with billions of government dollars would amount to the same thing. It's too early to declare victory.
1 posted on 09/13/2009 3:49:47 AM PDT by reaganaut1
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To: reaganaut1

amother white house press release courtesy of the ny slimes...


2 posted on 09/13/2009 3:54:11 AM PDT by JohnLongIsland
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To: reaganaut1
NO GOVT PAID/MANDATED HEALTH CARE!!! NONE!

I don't care what expendable features of it the pretender removes temporarily...if he gets his foot in the door it will be next to impossible to remove in the future.

It's called incrementalism and the left has it down to a science.

3 posted on 09/13/2009 3:57:16 AM PDT by Vaquero ("an armed society is a polite society" Robert A. Heinlein)
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To: Vaquero

We need to get rid of all forms of Socialized Medicine including Medicaid and Medicare.


4 posted on 09/13/2009 4:06:12 AM PDT by trumandogz (The Democrats are driving us to Socialism at 100 MPH -The GOP is driving us to Socialism at 97.5 MPH)
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To: trumandogz
We need to get rid of all forms of Socialized Medicine including Medicaid and Medicare.

that's my point...they have been around for decades and are ingrained. almost impossible to rid us from those two. The only good thing about medicare/medicade is that the old people are starting to realize their monopoly on socialized meds could be short lived and the money going to their brand of socialism will be thinned by universal health care.....

quite a conundrum.

5 posted on 09/13/2009 4:14:56 AM PDT by Vaquero ("an armed society is a polite society" Robert A. Heinlein)
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To: Vaquero

Not a conundrum at all.

The Seniors who insist on their Medicare while condemning Obama Care are hypocrites, essentially saying “Socialized Medicine For Me, but Not For You!”

Simply abolish Medicare-Medicaid and forget about Obama Care.


6 posted on 09/13/2009 4:26:12 AM PDT by trumandogz (The Democrats are driving us to Socialism at 100 MPH -The GOP is driving us to Socialism at 97.5 MPH)
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To: reaganaut1

The Government does not need to be competing with Private business.


7 posted on 09/13/2009 4:27:03 AM PDT by Venturer
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To: trumandogz

Then what, get the shovel ready?


8 posted on 09/13/2009 4:34:12 AM PDT by fivecatsandadog (You better HOPE you end up with more than a little CHANGE in your pocket when he's finished.)
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To: JohnLongIsland

from the times this virtually amounts to an obituary.


9 posted on 09/13/2009 4:34:19 AM PDT by wiggen (Never in the history of our great country have the people had less representation than they do today)
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To: trumandogz

it is a conundrum. they can be phased out,not simply cut. people have been paying that tax for quite awhile now.
not being soft in the head here,just practical.


10 posted on 09/13/2009 4:38:08 AM PDT by wiggen (Never in the history of our great country have the people had less representation than they do today)
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To: wiggen

Simply because Socialized Medicine has existed does not mean that it should continue to exist.

As for the money seniors have paid into Medicare, we should reimburse them the total amount of money they have paid into the program, minus the money that has been expended on them.


11 posted on 09/13/2009 4:50:30 AM PDT by trumandogz (The Democrats are driving us to Socialism at 100 MPH -The GOP is driving us to Socialism at 97.5 MPH)
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To: reaganaut1

TOP TEN INDICATORS THAT YOUR EMPLOYER HAS CHANGED TO OBAMA’S HEALTH
CARE PLAN:

(10) Your annual breast exam is done at Hooters.

(9) Directions to your doctor’s office include “Take a left when you
enter the trailer park.”

(8) The tongue depressors taste faintly of Fudgesicles.

(7) The only proctologist in the plan is “Gus” from Roto-Rooter.

(6) The only item listed under Preventative Care Coverage is “an apple
a day.”

(5) Your primary care physician is wearing the pants you gave to
Goodwill last month.

(4) “The patient is responsible for 200% of out-of-network charges,”
is not a typographical error.

(3) The only expense covered 100% is... “Embalming.”

(2) Your Prozac comes in different colors with little M’s on them.

AND THE NUMBER ONE SIGN YOU’VE JOINED OBAMA’S HEALTH CARE PLAN:

(1) You ask for Viagra, and they give you a Popsicle stick and duct
tape!!!!!


12 posted on 09/13/2009 5:47:13 AM PDT by native texan
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To: Vaquero

TORT REFORM ONLY

TORT REFORM FIRST

TORT REFORM NOW!

Wait a year or two to see what effect that has on relieving the costs in the system, and on physicians. Then look into possible other things.

I would not mind seeing other SEPARATE bills, too... such as allowing insurance to be bought outside your state. These massive bills have to stop. They are simply invitations for more corruption and a loss of freedom.


13 posted on 09/13/2009 6:16:39 AM PDT by AFPhys ((Praying for our troops, our citizens, that the Bible and Freedom become basis of the US law again))
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To: AFPhys

TORT REFORM ONLY

TORT REFORM FIRST

TORT REFORM NOW!

agreed, now the first thing we need to do is get conservatives(no, not most republicans) as a majority in congress and in the white house.....

...the trial lawyers assn., owns the Dhimmicrat Party.

14 posted on 09/13/2009 6:41:40 AM PDT by Vaquero ("an armed society is a polite society" Robert A. Heinlein)
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To: reaganaut1

It must have hurt the NYT deeply to post that headline.


15 posted on 09/13/2009 6:50:41 AM PDT by Buckeye Battle Cry (Hey Obama, no matter how thin you slice it, it's still baloney!)
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To: trumandogz

I agree with you 100%, but this conundrum does present a tremendous opportunity to exploit a traditionally solid dem voting bloc. Seize the issue of protecting Medicare from Obama and the dems and the grey panthers vote GOP next November. Divide and conquer baby!


16 posted on 09/13/2009 6:52:24 AM PDT by Buckeye Battle Cry (Hey Obama, no matter how thin you slice it, it's still baloney!)
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To: reaganaut1
"I'm glad if this bullet is dodged, but non-profit "co-ops" seeded with billions of government dollars would amount to the same thing. It's too early to declare victory."

We haven't won this issue. Something will be passed and it will (in future years) grow into the Democrats desired monster over the years.

17 posted on 09/13/2009 6:54:47 AM PDT by blam
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