The progressives have disguised their intent to create a single-payor, government-run plan by using the term "Healthcare Reform" as their rallying point. Healthcare is good. Reforming healthcare is good. Giving everyone a way to pay for their healthcare is better. And providing a public plan as a safety net is even better. Right? Wrong!
The progressives want a public plan that will eventually replace all private health insurance plans. How will this happen? Just look at the history of Medicare: It has always paid less for care than what the care actually costs, forcing private plans to make up the cost difference. A progressive-run public plan will work the same way which will make its premiums less than private plan premiums. That will force employers and individuals to drop their private plans and move to the public plan. At that point the federal government will control all aspects of healthcare and private companies will stop issuing health insurance plans.
"The public plan would be similar to conventional Medicare in that it would be managed by the federal government and pay private providers to deliver care. The public plan would be offered through a new national insurance 'exchange,' where it would compete with private insurance plans." Jacob Hacker, PhD, Professor of Political Science, Yale
"With nearly a trillion dollars of new federal spending at stake over the next ten years, the middle class will be engaged in the debate. The question is: under whose terms? Opponents want to scare voters about a government takeover, rationing and declining quality. Supporters need to persuade the middle class that the benefits are worth the costs and the risks." David B. Kendall, Progressive Policy Institute
"This (the Obama health care reform plan) isn't that kind of health care program that I think is going to work. If I had to say the single one thing which is the worst part of it, is that private insurers continue to be a part of the health scheme." – Dr. David Scheiner of Chicago, Barack Obama’s physician for 22 years. (CNN)
