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Politics : A US National Health Care System? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Road Walker who wrote (9992)	10/1/2009 2:46:49 PM
From: Lane3	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 42652

If you are comparing a public option to private insurance it's a significant cost savings. That has not yet been determined. It will only be determined if and when we have a public option that is not subsidized and can see a fair fight between it and private competitors. Which won't happen because proponents of the public option will stack the deck.

To: Road Walker who wrote (9992)	10/1/2009 5:05:07 PM
From: Peter Dierks	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 42652

If you are comparing a public option to private insurance it's a significant cost savings. Agreed! So why do we need the higher costs associated with government mismanagement?

To: Road Walker who wrote (9992)	10/2/2009 10:51:35 AM
From: i-node	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 42652

I don't know either; but that's not the point. If you are comparing a public option to private insurance it's a significant cost savings. There is really not any evidence of this, and in fact, there is considerable evidence to the contrary. In 2005, Medicare's administrative costs per primary beneficiary were $509, versus private-sector costs of $453. This is one of the areas where advocates of government takeover have been able to out-shout the opponents, even though the opponents had the better (more correct) message. This does not even take into account the fraud and abuse aspect, which is substantial. Most private insurance companies seriously review claims, because they have determined the savings is worthwhile (which also leads to the bitching about them not rubber stamping every claim for approval).