REPUBLICANS COMPLAIN ABOUT PLAN FOR INSURANCE

I wrote this letter in response to the noise our legislators are making about the proposed universal health care plan. They have already announced that single-payer is "off the table." It's likely that eventually a public health insurance option operating along side of the private plans will be adopted. It's not what we really need, but it's a step forward. If such a plan is passed, I believe that private health insurance will gradually experience a loss of most of its' business to the governmental plan. This would eventually create the single payer system that we'd like to have now, but it will take time and work. Just keep the faith.

The New York Times 6/5 National section article “Republicans Complain About Plan For Insurance” described their disagreement with the size, shape and cost of the emerging health care proposal.
Creation of a new government health insurance plan remains the most contentious issue in the debate. Opponents of a public plan are concerned that it would be unfair competition with the private plans and would make health care insurance much more expensive.
The truth is that 46 million people have no insurance, many because they can’t afford it. A universal health care insurance plan would cover everyone. President Obama favors “a public health insurance option operating alongside private plans.” The nay-sayers realized that private insurance providers could not compete with a public plan and still be profitable. Soon we would have a single payer health care system with everyone covered by government insurance.
The most expensive patients to care for are age 65 and over, They are already covered by Medicare. The public option would cover everyone else for no more than private insurance covers only a part of that population now.
Over 50% off our population want universal, single payer health insurance. They probably will not get it. After all, they are not putting huge amounts of money in their legislator’s reelection coffers.

Melvin H Kirschner, MPH, MD