Obama postponed his Asia trip for the final push on health care. Will it really come to a vote in 10 days? Is it political suicide for the Democrats? Shocking report on Lehman Brothers' financial manipulations; will it hasten financial regulation reform? Representing terrorists and the controversy raised by Liz Cheney - transparency, secrecy and conflicts of interest. And finally: did The Hurt Locker deserve the Oscar for best picture?
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The easiest way to create a true PublicOption is not to use the Medicare model, which still brings the private provider cost baggage, but instead to use the VA’s model of government staffed hospitals and to use sales tax funding instead of insurance for a stand alone system.
One week of public hearings should be held to educate the President, legislators, and voters, as to how a PublicOption using Veterans HealthCare successes could save lives and a $trillion annually, for health care reform, by using a dual choice Private or Public Option plan.
Between 1995 and 2004, the cumulative increase in the VA’s cost per enrollee was just 0.8 percent, while Medicare was a whopping 40.4 percent and VA patients had better health outcomes of anyone in the country at any price.
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2005/0501.longman.html
PublicOption users would never have to pay another insurance premium, medical service co pay fee, or any prescription costs and everyone who wants it could have it free no restrictions.
Using the PublicOption for delivering all government funded care would cut costs by 50%.
Free PublicOption care from government hospitals or coexisting services to purchase private insurance and receive private care from private hospitals could be selected.
President Obama could appoint Dr. Ken Kizer, if he would take the job, who was Clintons Under Secretary of Health who is the national treasure who reorganized the VA.