My belief is that no private-sector entity can survive over a long period of time competing against the government.
Peter Harbage and Karen Davenport a few months ago argued that this is the essential reason we need a public option – a theme being echoed by progressives recently:
Lack of competition in this critical marketplace means poor transparency and accountability, resulting in costly health care that harms our national health, bleeds our personal finances and the federal budget, and hinders our economic competitiveness. None of this is acceptable amid the worst slide in economic growth in 60 years. Fortunately, our nation’s health insurance market can be fixed with a big dose of what fixes most sectors of our economy—healthy, well-supervised competition. One of the best ways to introduce this much-needed competition is for the federal government to offer a public health insurance plan that can compete with private insurers within an insurance “exchange” that ensures public and private health insurance plans compete equally and transparently in the public marketplace.
Maybe someone should ask Senator Graham whether he supports this lack of competition or whether he has an alternative means for introducing more competition.
J.K.Galbraith wrote somewhere: "The trouble with competition is that in the end somebody wins". I wish I could remember the source.
ReplyDeleteForty million new customers added to the market for legitimate medical care and medicine! The insurance and drug people are trembling with excitement, especially with even the poorest getting into the game with tax money. What's not to like?
ReplyDeleteOpposition to any public alternative is a solemn obligation. They have a fiduciary responsibility to their share-holders, sales force and executives.
"Maybe someone should ask Senator Graham whether he supports this lack of competition or whether he has an alternative means for introducing more competition."
ReplyDeleteNot to be too contrary on this issue, but, perhaps someone should ask progressives: Since government cannot guarantee a job to everyone who needs one, why should we trust it to guarantee health insurance?
From which cause is one more likely to end up in a homeless shelter with the kids...