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Is Harry Reid Planning a Public Option Bait-and-Switch on Healthcare?

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"The majority of Americans are for healthcare reform with the public option."
Show me some statistics, with credible refrences, that backs this claim up (a NY Times poll is not a credible source).
The statisics I've seen have shown that the majority of Democrats support a public option with private insurance, while the majority of Republicans and Independents support the private option, excluding a government payer system. But to be fair, in all, this country is split.
Like it or not, Blue Dog Democrats, Republicans and Independents are also Americans.

PD Norman of TX 1:10PM October 12, 2009

Needs to come out of the closet. There is something wrong upstairs.

I.P.Daily 11:50AM October 11, 2009

The old republican mantra of repeating lies constantly and relentlessly doesn't change anything except the liars just start to believe their own lies, oblivious to reality.
The majority of Americans are for healthcare reform with the public option.
A small loud and snide minority of Americans - Republicans, conservatives and the wackos - have been doing and saying anything to obstruct, stall and intimidate any healthcare reform. So now that healthcare reform is going to happen, its going to happen without the same obstructionists.
Its insulting to us so many folks would sell out their country to undermine reform, underlined by the fact that many of the obstructionists are for hire and the rest will do anything to skunk their partisan enemies. Sheer slimeballs.
These dishonest obstructionist clowns are against any reform and we'll see more of them because they never run out of things to complain about, yet have nothing positive to offer. These Republicans, conservatives and wackos are a freaking disgrace.

Tom of ID 9:34PM October 09, 2009

i can appreciate both sides of the argument... but where do i go to find the truth?

john llewellyn of FL 3:40PM October 08, 2009

Obstructionist of healthcare reform are looking to be more and more like Liberals.
The majority of Americans, Democrats, Republicans, and Indpendents are for healthcare reform, without the public option. Have you noticed every time the public option is off the table polls show that Americans approval rating of refom creeps back up and when the public option is back on the table polls go down? There is a correlation there.
Right now most Americans believe the public option is dead and the polls show that more and more Americans aprove of healthcare legislation. Explain why?

Paul N of TX 2:44PM October 08, 2009

The public option doesn't deny people the opportunity to buy additional coverage on the open market. What it does is provide a place for approx 30 million Americans who can't really afford commercial care a place to get basic coverage. That 30 million person opportunity is what the insurance industry is fighting to keep. 30,000,000 x $5000 a year is a chunk of change ($150 billion) that the insurance industry wants. Those of us who want to keep our free valet parking, free cappucino, any test we want, care will still be able to buy it.

faultyeyeball of CA 12:17PM October 08, 2009

WASHINGTON AT IT'S WORST...WHAT IS DOES BEST!
IF they cannot get their way FAIRLY THEY WILL CHEAT! THEY ALL WILL! AND CHEATING HE IS!! Shoving this Bill thru attached to another...avoiding DEBATE in the HOUSE IS PURE EVILand CROOKED AT IT'S BEST! SHAME ON HIM AND THE PEOPLE WHO VOTED HIM TO HIS SEAT! The Senate is unable to pass a bill that includes a public option and the House unwilling to pass a bill without it. OH WELL...BEACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD AND START THE NEW BILL WITH TORT REFORM...therr are states out there that have already applied such and are saving $ and their plans are working...they need to QUIT SHOVING CRAP [unread BILLS] DOWN AMERICAN'S THROATS...I cannot wait until 2010 and I PRAY THERE ARE ALL NEW FACES in the HOUSE AND SENATE...LEAVING THESE OLD, CROOKED, LIARS standing there with there mouths open in shock! Harry REID AND PELOSI are 2 of the WORST!-EVER! I WILL PRAY NONE OF THIS GETS FUNDED!!!
America Might as well start flying the COMMUNISM FLAG..WE HAVE ARRIVED...SAD AND SHAMEFUL we have NO LEADERS IN WASHINGTON!! JUST ALOT OF ELITIST IDIOTS..WHO JUST THINK THEY KNOW WHAT IS BETTER FOR US...GOD IS WATCHING...HE WILL DEAL WITH THEM...LATER.WOE UNTO THEM!

Elisa of OR 11:09AM October 08, 2009

Lillian,
Have you ever been to a VA hospital or Clinic??? The most cost efficient care?? Medicare efficient? By what standards do you compare these government programs? Let's face facts. Medicare is slated to go broke in 8 years. The new plan cuts 500 Billion from the plan - that is 500 Billion from Seniors. The rhetoric that Medicare is efficient is simply not true. They are efficient because they do NOTHING to rout Waste, fraud and abuse. They are simply a check cutting organization. There is no way in the Medicare system to "pre-approve" medications or treatments leaving the patients and physicians at risk for non payment. At least in the Private system you can get a person on the phone for a pre-approval one way they use to keep waste, fraud and abuse inline. Insurance companies profit is a mere 5%.
Furthermore, the VA system does NOT provide quality care. Many Vets opt out as long as they can and only go into the system as a last resort or to pay for their medications. The VA system is notorious for paying $500 for a toilet seat and for overpaying for medical supplies due to government contracts.
There are a few areas which I am shocked no MSM outlets are addressing. Seems to me that the whole debate is A** backwards. Immigration reform should be handled first. Once the nation determines "who is a citizen" and put legal/illegal citizens on a short path to citizenship, all financial projections will be shot to HE**. These newly minted citizens will drain more from the system than they add in by tax revenues.
Secondly, the Baucus bill depends on taxing "Cadillac" health care plans. This revenue stream pays for 1/2 of the bill. When this plan is implemented you can bet most will re-tool their plans to fall under the threshold for "Cadillac" plans. This revenue stream will dry up. I can't see how this is going to sustain the program.
Finally, the taxes begin immediately, and the benefits don't start for 2-3 years. i predict the system will be overrun and broke even before the benefits are implemented. What a joke. There are plenty of free market solutions that can be implemented immediately. Let insurance companies sell across state lines. Legalize small business banding together to get better rates, Tort reform need I go on?
I am so disappointed!

Sara of FL 10:19AM October 08, 2009

As a Vet, and as a retiree, I have no complaints about the Govt. run health care plans. Thusly, I want everyone who is a citizen of the U.S. top have Medicare like myself.

jim erwin of MI 3:07AM October 08, 2009

Its real simple- take away the anti-trust exemptions Republicans gave health insurance companies and let them compete in open market. If bloated whales of insurance companies can't cut it, cut the bait line and let them sink - that's capitalism.
I can't believe anyone who call themselves conservative are still defending the health care insurance companies' monopolies to defraud and bankrupt this country. Not a fiscal conservative is to be found in the whole damn bunch of Republicans anymore, just whiners.
The VA is the best run, most cost effective health care system in this country, private or public. VFW have been trying to get VA coverage for whole vet families. We would have the most cost effective health care system possible if we let everyone on the VA plan. its a single payer plan that would beat every plan hands down. Its just a question of whether some folks think Americans deserve to have good healthc are at reasonable price.
Ask anyone on them, our current government health care plans like the VA, Medicare or Congress' own plan are the best, despite the constant underfunding by Republicans so they can say criticize the same programs they underfund.

Lillian of MN 12:51AM October 08, 2009