Public Option

A public option in health care is an insurance plan run by the government. Every other country in western civilization has some kind of public option I believe. I may be wrong there. Some say that if there is no public option in legislation, then there is no reason to continue the fight for reform. I agree. Either shit or get off the pot.

I'm calling our new medical overlords the USHS, the United States Health Service.

What are some good things about a public option?

• There is a minimum set of benefits (more or less).
• There is a baseline standard for the price and results behind benefits.
• "Everyone else" finally has a place to go where they can get access to organized health care.
• The concept of preexisting conditions is pretty much thrown out the window because every one is covered all the time (more or less).
• The USHS can bully the medical and pharmaceutical industries in to lowering direct cost by simply changing the laws as they go.
• Perhaps incentives can be born that will guide people toward healthier lives.
  

What are some bad things about a public option?

• Insurance companies have to pay taxes and do not have the ability to change the law to their benefit like the government does so they cannot compete on a level field.
• Everything becomes so standard that there is no point in using anything but the standard. This means lack of choice.
  
• All political decisions in the future will revolve around the USHS. and how the USHS is funded. it will be in the room when every major and minor plan is hatched because it directly affects every American every day on a primal level.
  
• After a while, there is no incentive to catch and stop fraud.
• Lack of competition will lead to lack of innovation.
• People will become disconnected from the cost of health care. They wall say it is 'free'.
• Eventually, people will be told how to live their lives and choices they make may be punished via the USHS.
  

If you pay close attention, many of the bullets are in both good and bad lists. They are simply worded differently. I'm sure I've missed half the bullets. Any one have some to add, or argue.

As I write this, I am trying to decide which side of the issue on which I fall. Something tells me we need public socialized health care. I'm not sure what. It does feel like one of those things that society was invented to create. We have markets for much of everything else considered to be absolutely necessary like  food, housing, defense, water, cable TV and internet access.