Reply #29: I'm sorry, but a public plan option is totally worthless.

[Ms. Toad]

There should be absolutely nothing controversial about a public plan option under any version of that plan I've heard discussed - specifically that it will compete on a level playing field with private insurance. That means that it will cost roughly the same, and cannot be subsidized - meaning those of us who are uninsurable are still up the proverbial creek without a paddle. ALL it will do, over time, is create a little more competition which may result in the lowering the increase in costs.

That doesn't help my daughter who, at age 18, has $5000-$10,000 in costs every year for routine health care, and will sooner or later be off our plan - sooner if she is unable to work well enough to remain a full time student - later if she can manage to stay in school.

That doesn't help my spouse who is not yet old enough for Medicare, has diabetes, and stage LCIS (which increases your risk for invasive cancer significantly that one treatment option is to have a preventative double mastectomy) - who is insured through my employer solely because they are committed to equal rights, and were willing to continue to search to find the only health care plan that was willing to be convinced to cover same gender partners.

That doesn't help me - even though I'm healthy as an ox, because a generation ago I had a rare condition causes no current problem, is not expected by any medical professional to cause any future problems, and even if it did is easily treated with a $500-$1000 outpatient treatment - but that freaks out people who play with actuarial tables. If I ever lose my employment related insurance, I am uninsurable.

That doesn't help much of anyone who has a pre-existing condition and/or cannot already afford health care. Everyone else is already being served by the health insurance companies for approximately the same cost of a public plan.

Health care reform must provide access to health care without regard to health, wealth, employment, or the ability to maintain status as a full time student. A public plan option does satisfy that baseline requirement.