Back-room Deals Kill Public Health Option

Although Senate leaders are refusing to release details pending a CBO analysis of the costs, it appears that the so-called public option has died a long painful death, replaced by convoluted exchanges that won't go into effect until 2014 -- if the insurance companies opt in. 

According to TPM, insurance companies will have the option of offering, through exchanges, non-profit plans that are versions of the Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan. If they fail to do so that "triggers" the public option to come back from the dead. Admittedly without the actual wording to review, it looks as if insurance companies can dump risky clients, then take some back with taxpayer subsidies. 

Meanwhile, there is another, highly-expensive gap-filler, per TPM:

"(A) buy-in option would initially be made available to some uninsured people aged 55-64 in 2011, three years before the exchanges open. For the period between 2011 and 2014, when the exchanges do open, the Medicare option will not be subsidized--people will have to pay in without federal premium assistance--and so will likely be quite expensive."

Comments

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