The 6 Pack Economist

I just wanted to put something out there because I am getting tired of the argument that the “public option” would just add much needed competition to the healthcare market.  For those liberals who now, after deriding competition in every other portion of their lives, have found a love for competition.  Then again when you are playing for the team that that referees bet on before the game, competition seems great.

Do these people really think that the public option will compete on a level playing field? Of course it will not.  The public plan will be able to run at a severe loss and just ask for more tax payer money.  The private plans will not be able to do this.  Ironically the profits the private companies will be making will be taxed, and this tax will go to help the public plan undercut the profits for the private company.  In addition, because current private insurance will be taxed as income, the private insurance companies will have to drop the prices of their plans to account for increased cost of the plans. 

I think many of the regular Joe’s pushing for the public opinion are primarily looking at this through hate filled eyes.  Much of this is probably warranted as the private insurance companies have pulled some very dirty tricks on people.  Issues from pre-existing conditions, dropping people for minor infractions, and just charging too much are all valid reasons.  I think in this case the cure is worse than the sickness.