Personally, I like BHO’s idea of a publicly run health care insurance company to compete with and make the private insurers honest. In West Virginia, the lawyer malpractice insurance rates began to rise in the early 1990″s just like the medical malpractice rates. The West Virginia State Bar joined a few other small states and formed its own non-profit legal malpractice carrier. It is still active today. Oh by the way, legal malpractice premiums in West Virginia stopped rising and have remained reasonable and affordable ever since.
Commentors bemoan the “unfairness” of a public entity competing with a private entity. How would you like it, they say, if the government opened a hot dog stand right beside your stand? With public dollars, they can run you out of business! Hogwash. Government and the private sector already compete side by side.
You can ride the subway or pay for a cab. Your choice.
You can go to a public golf course owned by the city or join a private club. Your choice.
You can go to a public pool or join a private one. Your choice.
You can watch public television or the networks. Your choice.
You can allow the police to protect you or hire a private security guard. Your choice.
You can go to the county owned hospital or the private one. Your choice.
You can mail something at the post office or use FedEx, UPS or DHL. Your choice.
Please don’t argue that the mere idea of a public option is somehow obviously unfair, unworkable and unimaginable. It is all around us every day.