Obama Urges Support for Government-Run Medical Insurance
May 2009
As it says at the
LA Times, the argument over medical insurance in America has been particularly explosive in recent months, as private
health insurance companies face the fact that the current political administration supports the creation of a government-run health care system that would provide competition for the insurance market.
For the last year political commentators, business owners, and health insurance companies have wondered if this country would go private or public, would hang on to the health care market as we know it, or opt for a Medicare-like giant that would govern all medical insurance issues.
Both options have their problems. Our current system of private medical coverage has done a poor job of providing...well, medical coverage. Currently 47 million Americans are uninsured, and costs for coverage range from the expensive to the outrageous.
At the same time, higher costs have guaranteed a quality of care that many Americans fear would disappear should
medical insurance be taken over by the government. Millions of seniors are aware of the pitfalls of Medicare, including lack of coverage, overpriced medications, minimal options and complicated paperwork.
So, the news that we might have both to choose from has met mixed reviews. Health insurance companies are, obviously, displeased with the notion that a government run plan could offer such stiff competition.
At the same time, those individuals who wanted better coverage could opt to pay for it, not unlike today's supplemental insurance plans.
Facts on:
Health Insurance Companies
Did you know...
Currently, 47 million Americans are uninsured?
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The only concern is whether or not the government run plan would offer decent enough coverage to provide a feasible alternative to private plans.
However, as the details are being hammered out in legislation, secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius reminds us that "states for years had offered their government employees a choice between a public insurance program and a private plan for healthcare coverage," and it's been an effective health care option for those fortunate enough to enjoy it.
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