The Public Option Is Now a Reality In 3 States

[applegrove]

The Public Option Is Now a Reality In 3 States

June 17, 2021 at 3:00 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 78 Comments

https://politicalwire.com/2021/06/17/the-public-option-is-now-a-reality-in-3-states/

"SNIP.....

“Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) signed into law a public health care option, making it the third state in the US to approve the creation of a government-run health insurance plan to be sold alongside commercial coverage on the Affordable Care Act’s insurance marketplaces,” Vox reports.

“As these states have drawn up their plans, one thing has become clear: The potential value of a public option is in keeping health care costs in check by keeping rates lower than those of private insurance plans. But it still remains to be seen whether a public option can expand health coverage to more people.”

......SNIP"

[marybourg]

1. I wonder which are the other states.

Story didn’t bother to mention.

[applegrove]

2. This is just a Political Wire out take. Go to the link within the out take

to get to the original article highlighted. In this case it is a Vox article. Here is the information from the Vox article you seek:

"SNIP....

Washington state first approved its public option in 2019 and made it available to consumers for enrollment in 2020. The state now has a year of experience getting the Cascade Care program up and running, and it’s already starting to tinker with the policy design. It’s also offering lessons for Colorado and Nevada (the other state to pass a public option this year, one week before Colorado).

......SNIP"

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/22535267/public-option-health-insurance-nevada-colorado-washington

[marybourg]

4. Thanks!

[applegrove]

6. I put up a lot of political wire outakes. I find their choices of news to

highlight very salient. I want to support them by giving them traffic. The original source article is always highlighted in the body of the out take I post at the DU. Others post their stuff too. So if you see the words Political Wire just assume it is a very short outtake and the bulk of the story is a click or two away if you are interested.

[marybourg]

7. I did look for the source,

but never did see it and still don't, on my phone.

[applegrove]

13. Oh thats too bad. On my phone Vox is highlighted in purple.

[betsuni]

3. Great!

Washington state!

[Ron Green]

5. The Public Option will continue to sort people into more- and less-desirable risk pools.

What we need is “Everybody in and nobody out.” THAT’s a health care system that covers the most people with the best care for the lowest cost. Everything else ***coughACAcough*** is insurance companies and pHarma. And medical groups.

[betsuni]

8. What?

No country with universal health care bans private insurance, does it? Medicare also doesn't ban private insurance. People want choice.

[Wounded Bear]

10. I believe that some countries with UHC have restrictions on private insurance...nt

[Bob_in_VA]

11. Not certain

but I believe many/most provide a basic level of care i.e. all medical/hospitalization/dental/vision/prescription coverage is provided free or very low cost. If you have the money and want a higher level of service (on call, private physician, private nurse, etc.) you can purchase insurance to cover that.

[Grins]

17. I don't think they can. FYI: Germany and France both have...

…supplemental private insurance and those companies are doing very well.

[area51]

9. +1 n/t

[IronLionZion]

16. The stated goal of these 3 public plans is to lower premiums through competition

healthy people may want to sign up for the lower cost public option

[Hortensis]

12. In 2010 I intended to move to the public option and expected that

over time many millions of Americans would also. If the premiums were lower and the care as good overall, and they would tend to be -- that's the point!, of course that would happen.

The ACA currently requires that no less than 80% of for-profit-medicine premium dollars go to patient care, with profits and other costs paid what's left.

[The Wizard]

14. This is warranted

as we have the world's most expensive healthcare but not near the top in results. I usually use the socialized medicine option known as VA Healthcare . Once you learn how to negotiate the VA system it's very effective.

[CrispyQ]

15. Time to recall Polis.

I was joking, but I see they are trying for a third attempt (in three years) to recall Governor Polis.

[subterranean]

18. I live in one of those states (Washington), but didn't choose the "public option."

Initially, I assumed I would go with the so-called public option (which is managed by private insurance companies), but I ended up choosing a plan with lower premiums and no deductible, although the co-payments and out-of-pocket maximum are somewhat higher. It seemed like a better choice for me at this time. However, I wonder if it would have been available without the competition from the public plan.