Joe Lieberman Explains His Opposition To Public Option Health Care

Wall Street Journal:

Mr. Lieberman notes that the public option serves no other purpose: "It doesn't help one poor person get insurance who doesn't have it now. It doesn't compel one insurance company to provide insurance to somebody who has an illness. And . . . it doesn't do anything to reduce the cost of insurance."

Read the whole story: Wall Street Journal

Comments

[Variegated]

12:44 PM on 12/14/2009

WSJ/Leiberman 2012

[lordmi]

08:43 AM on 12/06/2009

Hey, Joe.
let's switch - I will get Your Public Insurance, and You - go and shop private one.

[rpmcestmoi]

11:38 AM on 12/07/2009

Super! Would make a great advertisement.
Bravo.

[rf-hawaii]

03:06 AM on 12/06/2009

Lieberman is jumping to the head of the health insurance industry gravy train, pure and simple.

A liar and a thief.

[rickkkkk]

08:23 AM on 12/06/2009

Disloyal dork thinks he knows it all.

[autumncolors]

09:58 PM on 12/05/2009

{{Remember, as it stands, Public Option will be supported by premiums, just like other options. There are no tax dollars supporting Public Option.

The majority of cost of healthcare reform is related to covering the uninsured. And that would be there with or without a Public Option.}}

It is good to know this because Leiberman said PO is going to be free.

[Gould123]

12:50 PM on 12/06/2009

It first will move more single moms/poor on medicaid-Rest on lower rate ins.,Ins. compition.

[thepoliticalcat]

07:18 PM on 12/05/2009

Who wants to hear the Murdoch mouthpiece, WSJ, recite Droopy Dawg's talking points? And pay for the privilege? If LIE berman really feels this way about the public option, then he should introduce amendments and sponsor amendments to make this bill give his fellow Americans the same kind of health insurance he enjoys at our expense. He should drop his own Public Option. Put your money where your mouth is, Sanctimonious Joe! Dump your health insurance and save us a few dollars!

[bluescat47]

07:15 PM on 12/05/2009

If Lieberman had some other alternative plan to cover the uninsured, I would consider it , but he doesnt. Family premiums have doubled in 10 years, averaging around $11,000 a year currently. In ten years there will be 54 million without health insurance. Only 43% of firms with less than 100 employees now offer health coverage, and it covers less than it used to. Many of the tea baggers dont get it - in the next couple of years, their employers wont offer coverage, and if they do, it will be exorbitantly expensive. GE is moving in that direction currently, requiring deductibles up to $4000 a year.
In Eighty six percent of metropolitian areas the health market (the providers) is considered "highly concentrated (lack of competition). That is the purpose of the public option - to provide some negotiating weight to bring costs down.

[Dogyeller]

06:41 PM on 12/05/2009

Joe is starting to make as much sense as Sarah Palin. Everyone who agrees should join the "Boot Joe Lieberman" group on Facebook.

[HeavyHitter]

06:33 PM on 12/05/2009

Hey Joe, ever hear of the United States Postal Service? Wow, too bad for Fedex and UPS that they couldn't handle the competition.

[lemealone]

10:30 PM on 12/05/2009

I'm not sure if I get it, but isn't fedex and ups making profits while the usps is in the hole? Deforestation would drop significantly if is wan't so cheap to send that junk mail too. What's up with all those catalogs when I shop online?

[chrisvancil]

06:12 PM on 12/05/2009

The title of this article is a little misleading. Lieberman didn't "explain" anything. He just made some unsupported statements.

[FredBrighton]

06:38 AM on 12/06/2009

But in a way it does explain a few things. It explains all that money he gets from the industry. While we're on the subject, why do we refer to the insurance con as an "industry" when it does absolutely nothing industrious? You bet on how long you will live or how healthy you will be and they take your money and then try to find a way to keep it all. That's not industry, it's more like a form of extortion. Industry is making cars or robots. They don't call the legal profession an industry, nor education, so why are lawyers industrious but a teacher is merely professional? Oh yeah, lawyers invented the lie.

[rgilley]

10:44 AM on 12/07/2009

And is that not his usual ?

[juanjo]

05:10 PM on 12/05/2009

Lieberman is lying which should come as no surprise considering the people he has been accepting "donations" from recently. What the Medical Care industry really fears is that their cushy ride will end. Canada spends less per capita than we do on medical care as do most other countries including Israel, Lieberman's second home.

When San Francisco initiated its own public health care system for city residents they found it cost 288.00 per month per resident covered which was 100.00 less than Kaiser the next cheaper option. it was less than half what Aetna and others charged. The program helped the city as well because it removed a serious financial burden on its public health system where uninsured people were using the emergency rooms at hospitals as their treating doctors. The overall cost of treatment was lower and the efficiency of the emegency rooms was improved with fewer people crowding the system.

[HumeSkeptic]

03:19 PM on 12/05/2009

Here is what a health insurance marketplace might look like:

1. Healthnet - private, for profit.
2. Aetna- private, for profit.
3. Public Option - Government, non-profit
.
.
.
7. United healthcare- private, for profit.
.
.
20 Blue Cross Blue Shield -private, non-profit
----------------

By what definition of socialism is that socialism?
Who in his/her right mind would call that Government takeover of health insurance industry?
And there would be minimal job losses even if private insurers go out of business. Most employees would be absorbed by the insurer that wins. In fact, since there will be more insured, there would likely be more jobs.

Why would anyone be opposed to having #3 in there? If you don't want it, don't choose it.
Doesn't having more choices mean more competition? If private companies can't compete, shouldn't they go out of business? And if they do, most of their employees would be absorbed by the winner. Minimal job losses.

Remember, as it stands, Public Option will be supported by premiums, just like other options. There are no tax dollars supporting Public Option.

The majority of cost of healthcare reform is related to covering the uninsured. And that would be there with or without a Public Option.

[freethinkergirl]

03:35 PM on 12/05/2009

Good afternoon Hume, you are so spot on, what is it with the Repugnican'ts inability to understand this??

:-)) just answered my own question, what was I thinking, that they even have a "reasoning gene", silly me.

[rf-hawaii]

03:10 AM on 12/06/2009

'Government takeover of health care' is a soundbite that resonates. Unfortunately.

It's wrong, but it works with many citizens.

[Soundofthunder]

03:00 PM on 12/05/2009

Joe Lieberman is the most blatant example of a politician being bought and paid for by big bidness. His opinions were, as recently as 2006, pro-universal healthcare. Today, he's not for even a watered-down public option. That cha-ching! sound you're hearing is his campaign coffers fattening from insurance company donations.

$0T

[tubette]

03:13 PM on 12/05/2009

In addition to what you said, there's something about him that makes my skin crawl....

[freethinkergirl]

03:41 PM on 12/05/2009

The thought of what his teabags probably look like, considering his s@ggy face.

[exhale09]

02:56 PM on 12/05/2009

In Israel, Health Care is considered a "Right" and entitlement to it's citizens. Israeli's spend half as much of their GNP as Americans spend on Health Care, and live longer then Americans.

Yet America gives millions and millions to Israel in aid, as well as military support, while our citizens go without health care...and Israel is not the only country we can say this about.

Sorry. That's just a fact. What say ye Conservatives? Why don't you object to that?

[freethinkergirl]

03:39 PM on 12/05/2009

Spot on, healthcare is a right in most of the industrialized, technologically advanced nations. And they spend far less because the obsce.ne profits for the healthcare industry is not allowed.

Your 74th FAN.

[rgilley]

10:49 AM on 12/07/2009

Its the profit motive here that keeps the status quo in place along with some greedy weasels like Lieberman.

[Youhavegottobekiddingme]

09:41 AM on 12/06/2009

In other words,

We pay for health care in Israel.

[normalintexas]

02:46 PM on 12/05/2009

LIEberman: Get some freaking morals and principles.

[chirps]

02:55 PM on 12/05/2009

I think that is what you call "mission impossible".

[normalintexas]

03:18 PM on 12/05/2009

You are right...he is beyond redemption.

[chancho24]

02:31 PM on 12/05/2009

What is there to explain Joe?
You were for the public option as far back as 2004, and now you are against it.
Why? It's easy as 1..2..3.
You were bought off, and of course your wife works for a lobbying firm.
Wasn't that easy?

[freethinkergirl]

02:43 PM on 12/05/2009

Bingo, good afternoon chancho24.....

[chancho24]

02:50 PM on 12/05/2009

Hi FTG.