Morning Bell: The Public Plan Threat to Accessible Health Care
Conn Carroll /
This past Monday, the White House co-hosted an invitation only health care forum with California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in Los Angeles. According to the Los Angeles Times the event “was clearly programmed to showcase the broad goals” President Barack Obama has on health care, but “was light on details” with “no discussion of how to achieve those goals.” Meanwhile, the New York Times reports that back in Washington, Democrats Agree on a Health Plan that includes “a public health insurance plan as an alternative to private insurance.” Considering the cost and consequences of a public health plan, it should be no surprise the White House chose not to promote the idea at their health care forum.
Independent and conservative health care experts have long warned that a public plan would further “crowd out” ever dwindling private health care options and only fast track government’s creeping control of health care. A new study released Monday by the Lewin Group, a healthcare policy research firm, provides some numbers to back up this point.