Health Care Affordability

Huffington Post — People in Canada and Europe aren't dropping dead from a lack of affordable health care. Americans are, however , dropping dead, going bankrupt, and losing everything due to a lack of guaranteed, affordable, reliable health care. We have an opportunity to turn all of that around with a strong public health insurance option. In fact, 70 percent of us want it. Wingnuts and Republicans who don't want it don't have to sign up. They can continue to defiantly roll the dice with their private plans. And good luck with that, by the way. Just don't punish the rest of us with this self-defeating Palin-ish ignorance.

The Nation — With both the House and Senate looking to pass health care bills prior to the summer recess which begins August 8, now is the moment of truth for Democrats: will they offer a real public plan option to compete with private plans and drive down costs? Or will they cater to the health care industry which is now spending $1.4 million per day on lobbyists to protect their profits?

tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com — For progressives, the principles involved in health care reform are straightforward. First, it should be "universal" - everyone should be covered, regardless of income or medical condition. Second, it should cover the medical services that Americans need. It should not exclude people with "pre-existing conditions" — people who need insurance the most. Third, it should be efficient in terms of costs.Any bill without a public option is a sell out. It fails the test. It violates the principles that should undergird any health reform package.

Truthout — In spite of all the ill spoken about it, the American health care system is even sicker than is generally believed, if only for economic reasons.

alternet.org — If the public plan is bad, then people will just stay with the options currently available in the private sector.

openleft.com — The main goal of health care reform is to lower the cost of health insurance. Apropos, Olympia Snowe thinks that the problem with a public health insurance option is that a public option would ... wait for it ... lower the cost of health insurance.