Health Insurance Public Option Possibly Off the Table
Congress may be backing away from their idea of a public option only health insurance plan. The New York Times reported earlier today that public health insurance may not be included in their plan at all according to Sheryl Gay Stolberg on the NY Time’s site.
White House officals state that President Obama hasn’t fully put aside the idea of a government only plan, but the door has been opened. The president still believes there is great value in having a purely government plan, but he views it as only a small piece of a broader goal. Ultimately the initiative is to control costs, make coverage available to as many people as possible, and make health care a much more efficient program.
President Obama envisions the public health insurance option as a flexible plan backed by the government where consumers can buy public or private individual health insurance based on what fits their needs most. Over time the plan would be financially self sustaining and require no additional subsidies. But there is fear that this would drive private insurers out of business over time.
