The public option is politically superior to Medicare for All — but only as a sound bite. EricLevitz writes
Be honest, for Pete’s sake. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images The vast majority of Americans believe that every U.S. citizen has a right to quality, affordable health care, and that it is the federal government’s job to uphold that right.
This shouldn’t be surprising. It’s hard to see why anyone who isn’t a self-identified social democrat or progressive policy wonk would find the latter idea more appealing. In the poll’s framing, the public option is no risk, all reward; you can enroll in a government plan or “keep” the one you already have . Single-payer, by contrast, offers risk without any specified benefit.
If this is an accurate description of Biden’s plan, then Biden’s plan will not allow most Americans to “keep their private insurance,” at least, not for long. Private firms will never have as much pricing power as the federal government, nor as much capacity to provide coverage at a loss.
Precisely because the health-care industry is such a gargantuan parasite on the U.S. economy, it will be willing and able to inundate the airwaves with negative messaging on a public option. Many doctors will likely warn their patients that those “clowns in Congress” are trying to disrupt their coverage, while many physicians’ groups will mount protests and lobbying campaigns. And the face of the opposition won’t just be high-paid hospital executives or millionaire surgeons.
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