What’s Wrong with the Public Option?
- A public option would offer more choice, but it would not solve the worst of what’s wrong with our current system: it would not expand coverage to everyone living in the US. It would also not guarantee that all of us, from cradle to grave, have coverage for the same set of essential benefits. We need Medicare for All for that!
- Because a public option does not fundamentally change the way the US pays for healthcare, a public option plan would likely limit benefits or raise premiums. Subscribers would not have the safeguards they need to afford care. We need Medicare for All for that!
- A public option will have to mimic the practices of private insurers and therefore, would not create a system with true choice of health providers or hospitals. We need Medicare for All for that!
- Because most of the waste in our current system would not be addressed, a public option would not create the cost savings we need. We need Medicare for All for that!
- A public option is really one plan added to many (we have 4 public and more than 1,000 plans in place in the US), so it would not contribute to cost control and sustainability. We need Medicare for All for that!
- Lower income and middle income currently pay a larger share of their earnings for healthcare. A public option would not alter this system of regressive financing. We need Medicare for All for that!
- Finally, using the public option as a compromise would mean that we would have to abandon our commitment to healthcare as a fundamental human right as it would not guarantee enrollment. We need Medicare for All for that!
Source: adapted from materials by PNHP
What do you think?
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