What qualifies Olympia Snowe to be the arbiter of health reform? Her health reform option is nothing to write home about. Snowe would have states get a government-run plan–a public option– if at least five percent of residents lack access to affordable care. Congress should not create a subpar Medicaid option–something only for the poorest in our society–rather than a true health plan for all Americans.
What is “affordable access to care,” according to Olympia Snowe? How will states decide that they have more than five percent of the population who qualify? Who decides how much a health plan will cost? Who decides what the plan will cover–and for how long? What about the middle class people–with coverage–who are now going bankrupt because of their medical bills? Will they be in the five percent?
Who decides at what point premiums get raised–or that certain conditions will no longer be covered? What about the family with the 17 pound baby who was denied health insurance coverage and deemed to have a pre-existing condition–obesity– by the health insurers? Will his family be counted? Maybe it takes 17 pounds to pull the trigger?
Here’s the bottom line: With a true public option, Americans would not have to ask those questions–or worry now about what a public option means. Olympia Snowe’s “trigger” is just another way of shooting ourselves in the foot! It’s time to stop playing games and have a real public option as an American right.
Tags: health insurance, Health Reform, Medicaid, public option, Senator Olympia Snowe, Senator Snowe's Trigger Option
