Glad I waited

[name_redacted]

I've been intending for some time to write a post about why I support the so-called "public option" in health care reform, that is, a government-run insurance program that would be available to everyone, either directly or through their employers if the employer couldn't afford or was too small for private insurance coverage. But, this morning, the

Comments

[name_redacted]

Those, at least, are legitimate arguments, rather than idjits ranting about "socialism" and "death panels."

As far as whether government health insurance should be a state mandate, rather than a federal one, that'd be swell, if you live in a big, wealthy state like yours truly. If you live in, say, West Virginia or Mississippi, however, it's much less viable. Which is the same reason that you don't really have many small, regional insurance companies or banks anymore - a national pool makes it more viable. (Now, personally, I'd be willing to tell the poor states, which happen to house most of the loudest critics of national health care yet need it the most, to eff off, but I'm not as charitable as some...)

The whole point of having government-run services is that they're things we need that just can't be paid for, or at least not efficiently, though the private sector - the postal service being a prime example. And, sure, Social Security or Medicare may not be perfect, but they're better than the alternative (and try telling the AARP that you're taking them away, or exposing them to the storms of the private market).

I realize that many "liberals" are put out that we're even talking about government insurance, rather than a single-payer plan or a completely government-controlled health care system, but personally, I think this is the compromise that can work and get the most Americans to accept it. Most Americans have some form of insurance (and many have lost it or had to battle private insurers to get legitimate coverage), and either they or someone close to them uses Medicare and so has experience with the government paying their health care costs, like an insurer would. Polls seem to back this up, showing 70-80% of Americans in favor of a public insurance option.

But, I sympathize with your plight. I'm looking forward to similar battles when pie_queen53 and I visit our families in the OC in a couple of weeks...