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Unexpectedly! Obama Now Pushing Public Option in Obamacare

Unexpectedly! Obama Now Pushing Public Option in Obamacare

Was this the goal all along?

Now that Obamacare co-ops are collapsing and Bernie Sanders has spent months revving up Democratic Primary voters on the idea of “free” healthcare, Obama is suddenly open to the idea of a public option in Obamacare.

Some might think this was the goal all along.

The Wall Street Journal reports:

President Obama Pushes for ‘Public Option’ in Affordable Care Act

President Barack Obama, reviewing his signature health law six years into its implementation, is suggesting Congress and his White House successor add a government-run, or public, insurance option to the Affordable Care Act and increase federal financial assistance for people to buy coverage.

Writing as Barack Obama, J.D., in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the president lauded the health-care overhaul and excoriated its opponents, arguing the law has sharply reduced the number of uninsured in the U.S. and improved coverage for those who had it.

“The Affordable Care Act is the most important health care legislation enacted in the United States since the creation of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965,” he wrote. “Although partisanship and special interest opposition remain, experience with the Affordable Care Act demonstrates that positive change is achievable on some of the nation’s most complex challenges.”

The article appeared as a “special communication” in which he offered evidence, findings and a description of their relevance. Among its most striking sections were those in which he acknowledged the law’s shortcomings and advocated responses to them. In his call for a public option, he noted the existence of parts of the country with limited insurance competition, where customers may have no choice but to swallow high premiums.

The piece reflects the president’s efforts to solidify the legacy of his signature law in his last year in office, especially as it comes under attack from Republicans who have vowed to repeal it.

Once again, the left is playing the long game. Opposition to Obamacare was fierce when it was still being debated and Democrats knew they couldn’t get it passed with a public option.

Now, several years later, may Americans have already grown accustomed to the law so the time is ripe to take the next step towards government run healthcare.

The Daily Signal offers more analysis:

What’s Behind Obama’s Obsession With the Public Option

President Barack Obama is calling for the resurrection of his failed “public option” ( a “Medicare-like” plan) to compete directly against private health plans in his government-run health insurance exchanges.

“The public plan did not make it into the final legislation,” the president writes in the Journal of the American Medical Association. “Now, based on the experience with the ACA [Affordable Care Act], I think Congress should revisit a public plan to compete alongside private insurers in areas of the country where competition is limited. Adding a public plan in such areas would strengthen the Marketplace approach, giving consumers more affordable options while also creating savings for the federal government.”

Yeah…right.

The president’s latest appeal for congressional creation of a “public option” is no more convincing today than it was when he originally proposed it. It was included in the very first legislative version of Obamacare in 2009, and by 2010 it became a standardized feature of leftist health policy in Congress.

The provision was, however, unable to secure enough congressional Democratic support. The final version of Obamacare was enacted without the provision. The national health law eventually passed on a narrowly partisan basis, in the teeth of popular opposition, and further polarized the country.

But there’s a reason Obama is circling back to the public option, even though he couldn’t get it through Congress.

If a public option became part of government-run health, the Health and Human Services secretary would establish such a plan, set its benefits, and fix its payment rates.

If Hillary Clinton wins the presidency, this is all but a done deal.

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Comments

Some might think this was the goal all along.

Well, some have been predicting, denouncing saying out loud, that this was the goal all along.

Only the stupid want a public option.

Barack Hussein Obama is nothing but a despicable human being, a POS.

There’s no trace of decency in him. Claiming that his stupid law “improved coverage” is a disgusting insult. It did not improve shit. It just forced us to buy something we don’t want, something we don’t need, at a price that we cannot afford. How can he call that an improvement? Only because he is a lying SOS.

And there’s the other claim, that “the thing” “sharply reduced the number of uninsured.” What a load of baloney!
“Sharply”?
Really?
Trying to make me laugh or to make me cry? Or maybe just trying to insult my intelligence?

Gee, think this might have been the goal,”all along”?? In two or three generations, someone in Nebraska (who needs even the smallest medical procedure) will have to have it approved by a council somewhere in Norway. One-payer health system, one-world government, one-state god, one-central bank. My grandmother, back in the 50s/60s, warned this was coming; as her family, we laughed.

There is nothing to be afraid of a public option. Remember that the market is more efficient than the government, so any public option would fail. Conservatives must hold strong to their principles of free market and ensure no subsidies for the public option.

    The “public option” will fail in the same way as the Post Office and Amtrack. Everyone will agree that it gives terrible service at too high a price, yet the politicians will vote to give it more and more money every year while claiming that they are providing “strict oversight” and requiring “meaningful reform” or some other such empty politician speak.

    Markets work well when allowed to do so. When the government puts a thumb on the scales, markets are distorted and everyone suffers. In this case, quite literally.

    Milwaukee in reply to GrantS. | July 17, 2016 at 3:10 pm

    “Remember that the market is more efficient than the government, so any public option would fail.” Definitely true. But….

    … “private” enterprise is private, and has limited resources. The government has the taxpayer, and the belief they have unlimited resources. The government will subsidize government enterprise until the private is bankrupt competing, and then the government will also be bankrupt. However the government won’t go away, they will raise fees, raise taxes, and limit services.

    I seem to recall that 3 of the 4 first transcontinental railroads had government backing. Those 3 went bankrupt, the sole private enterprise did not. And so on, and so on, and so on.

Don’t worry. The Republicans will fight this, just like they have fought Obamacare.

If you define ‘fight’ as ‘rollover and play dead’.

The problem may be a Paul Ryan / Mitch McConnell led republican congress might go along with this. The republican congress itself is deeply out of favor. They have a history of seeking a bipartisan solution with the democrats. “Making govt work for the American people.” This congress has passed 3 bipartisan govt funding budget’s in 18 months, each for well over a trillion $$.

I can see Ryan/ McConnell going along with this as a parting gift to their friend.

    Note :
    I didn’t say it would happen, I said it might.
    I just want to separate my “opinion” from those that follow who are certain in their “opinion.”

    Had any leading republican been ask to opine on this issue? Because this is what we need to be paying attention to. Is not like we should ignore the left, but we’re not really surprised that they are floating this public option idea now. We knew this was coming, but we need to address the bigger issue which is the GOP apparently cluelessness when faced with the left long game (I say “apparently” because I’m convinced that they’re not that dumb, they’re just corrupt).

    The only valid response the GOP needs to give is “Hell No!” for short. The long answer should be “we know that in the long term what the Democrats want is federal control of the delivery of health care and this so-called public option is just a step in that direction. We will not be complicit in this”.

      Ulises :
      You get it. Too damned many on this site don’t. It’s not about them or their Conservative “purity.”

      SDN in reply to Ulises. | July 17, 2016 at 8:12 pm

      Actually, your candidate was asked to opine on it, and Donald Trump thought it was a big beautiful ides.

        Unlike what others say about me, I’ve never said Trump is the perfect candidate. That candidate doesn’t exist. I support Trump because of other reasons & purposes I’ve gone into several times previously on this site. I will not repeat them yet again.

        Trump was far preferable to Cruz. That horse has been beaten to a pulp on this site. I won’t repeat that argument yet again.

        At this point it’s a no brainer choice between Trump & Clinton. The rest is irrelevant.

        Commenting on this site is something I do to reach its overall larger audience. My sense is its commentators now support Trump more than support the insanity of the #never T-rumpers. That wasn’t true several months ago.

If Domald Trump wins the presidency this is also a done deal.

Some might think this was the goal all along.

Ahem. NO. This is NOT the goal. SINGLE PAYER is the goal, and HAS BEEN all along. A “public option” is just another step in the march toward that goal.

If anybody thinks otherwise, they weren’t listening to the Conservatives SCREAMING in 2009 that SINGLE PAYER was the goal ALL ALONG and eventually a Public Option would be added to the PPACA in order to “transition” there.

President Obama, June 2009, to the American Medical Association:

OBAMA: If you don’t like your health coverage or don’t have any insurance, you will have a chance to take part in what we’re calling a Health Insurance Exchange. … And one of these options needs to be a public option that will give people a broader range of choices and inject competition into the health care market so that force waste out of the system and keep the insurance companies honest.

http://www.breitbart.com/blog/2013/10/29/flashback-obama-s-campaign-to-transition-to-single-payer-health-care-video/

Where President Stompy-foot specifically tells the AFL-CIO that he is a proponent of Single-Payer.

http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2009/12/22/74682/obama-repeatedly-touted-public/

http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2009/06/15/45683/obama-public-plan-friend/

“…If Hillary Clinton wins the presidency, this is all but a done deal…”

True, but with a * in the qualification. If Donald wins, the last two months of the O administration will be one huge power grab for big business with as much Executive signing and decreeing as possible (and coincidental campaign donations), with the goal of embedding various lefty wish lists into government just as deep as they can get and letting them hold on with tick-like enthusiasm.

How to make Obamacare work:

All federal civilian employees should be required to buy their insurance from the exchanges with no more subsidies than honest Americans. They may, if they choose, buy additional insurance or use a spouse’s plan, but they are still required to buy insurance from an exchange. This applies even to Congress, the Supreme Court, and the Vice President. The President and SecDef, since they are in the military,chain of command, may use military healthcare.

Any union contracts providing for other insurance would have those sections voided.

The government wants to push this, they need skin in the game.

    They tried this, and there was a general staff revolt in Congress. If I remember correctly something like 1/3 of the Congressional staff threatened to resign if it took effect and they became subject to the requirement. Again, IIRC, the Federal departmental employees had about the same “we can’t afford this” percentage and threatened to find other employment.

    Removing it was part of the “compromise” Democrats had to make with themselves to get it passed, and the Progressive / Socialists in the Democrat party were vicious about the loss of the provision.

    The Republican leadership, instead of capitalizing and forcing the issue, simply walked away.

    Neo in reply to malclave. | July 17, 2016 at 5:04 pm

    Keep in mind that the salesman of any health care insureance product makes a 14% commission (that continues every time you pay).

    This is such a good deal for the salesman that organized crime linked up with their union buddies to become the health care insurance salesman to many unions.

    14% skimmed off the top .. and it’s all legit.

Even with progressive debt, and a temporary demand (e.g. illegal immigration, refugee crises) surge, the economy is performing that bad.

Was a public option part of the plan all along?

Does a socialist shit in the food line?