[lbo-talk] Americans think about the public option

Matt lbo4 at beyondzero.net
Tue Aug 25 06:08:40 PDT 2009


On Mon, Aug 24, 2009 at 09:09:54PM -0400, Bill O'Connor wrote:


> Oh, it's definitely not just Grassley. Many people worry that they're
> own insurance will be adversely affected by the proposed changes. Why
> they're not worried that their own insurance will be *canceled* by the
> soulless actuaries that decide when they'll be dropped from the rolls is
> left as an exercise for the reader.

Because for a lot of these people who get their insurance through their employer - it can't be *canceled*.

There are a lot of people who are perfectly happy with their insurance (above-median income people who work for large employers, like most of my co-workers) and who are afraid that their employer will dump the private insurance and force them into a public plan which gives them worse care.

Note I am not arguing that position, simply explaining what their position actually is. The horror stories of people being dropped do not resonate with a large number of people because their employer-sponsored provider can NOT just drop them as long as they are employed. And what if they get laid off or fired? Well, the answer is to bust your ass to find another job!

The horror stories, even if invented, of Europeans and Canadians dieing while waiting for an operation because they were forced into a government plan, *do* resonate.

Matt

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