The Fight For A Public Option Is The Fight For Affordability

I've heard some in the MSM argue that progressives have become too fixated on the issue of a robust public option. The fight to include a public option is not a simply philosophical argument or an insider policy battle. The fight of the public option is inseparable from the fight to make health insurance affordable for middle class Americans.

During his address to Congress, President Obama effectively set a $900 billion ceiling on the size of the health care reform bill. Anything that would make the bill more expensive would need to be offset with cuts. Those cuts almost by default must come in the form of reducing the amount of subsidies/tax credits to help Americans afford insurance or the quality of the insurance.

The National Journal is reporting that the CBO determined the robust public option favored by progressives would save the government $110 billion. A weaker “level playing field” public option would only save $25 billion.

This means removing the robust public option from the House bill would require a corresponding $110 billion reduction in affordablity tax credits. Depending on the final shape of the bill that would be somewhere between a 14%-23% reduction in the amount of tax credits to working class Americans. From different CBO reports (1,2) we know that in 2019 the average tax credit for an enrollee in the exchange, who needs help with affording health insurance, will be between $5,000-$6,000. Eliminating the robust public option would reduce the amount of tax credits to an individual by roughly $1,000.

The CBO also reported that, “on average the [robust] public plan would be about 10 percent cheaper than a typical private plan.”

For a family the robust public option would be roughly $1,300 cheaper in yearly premiums. (This year the average premiums for a family coverage is $13,375)

Not having a robust public option as part of health care reform would make health care dramatically less affordable (or lower quality) for millions of Americans. It would mean denying American families a health insurance option that would be roughly $1,300 cheaper and reducing the size of the average tax credit for an individual by nearly $1,000.

Progressives are fight hard for a strong public option, because they are fighting hard for working class people. A robust public option is critical to making this current health care reform bill affordable for middle income Americans. Not having a robust public option would cost millions of American families thousands of dollars a year.

Ted Kennedy Abandons Liberals on Health Care Reform

This is probably the worst sign yet for the public health insurance plan. Ted Kennedy has abandoned liberals on the issue of his career. On his senate website, Ted Kennedy no longer publicly supports providing all Americans with the choice of a public health insurance option. He continues the trend started by the Obama administration of trying to whitewash over support for a public plan.

Only a week ago, Ted Kennedy's website still promoted giving all Americans the choice of signing up for Medicare. Now, under the issue of “health care” there is no longer any reference to offering people the choice of a public health insurance plan.

I highly respect Ted Kennedy and his long career of fighting for what he believes in. But now is the time for health care reform. Important health care reform legislation is being written as we speak. To see Kennedy quietly abandon a core principle of the progressive agenda is very disappointing.

See what Ted Kennedy's website said about health care reform last week and now.

Progressive's Ultimatum for Specter

The Democrats had a very good chance of electing a moderate-to-progressive Democrat from Pennsylvania in 2010. Pennsylvania is a blue state which has only move further into the Democratic column in the past few years. Senator Arlen Specter was either going to lose his primary or come out of it in terrible shape.

The Democratic leadership encouraged Specter to switch parties. They decided that having a very conservative Democrat now was more important than waiting 2 years and electing a progressive Democrat who would probably hold that seat for a few decades. After a week of doing everything possible to piss off his new Democratic base many are questioning the wisdom of welcoming Specter with open arms.

Specter claims that as a Democrat he is still against the Employee Free Choice Act, even though he supported it only 2 years ago. He recently said he opposes creating a public health insurance option. The public plan was the core principle of Obama's health care plan and would save the average American 30% of their cost of health care. Specter even “mistakingly” said he was still routing for Norm Coleman in his unethical attempt to subvert democracy.

The progressives need to give Specter a strong ultimatum. You may not supporting a single filibuster. Specter can be free to vote against any bill he wants, what he can't do is stand in the way of a bill getting an up or down vote. His vote is not needed to pass important legislation, only to stop Republican obstructionism. If Specter block a public plan and the rest of Obama's campaign promises, he will face a strong primary challenger. Clearly, Specter is a man who responds to election threats.

The progressives should be careful not to fall into the same trap that conservatives did over the last 8 years. The conservatives were so willing to blindly follow their presidential leadership that they ended up selling out their values and crippling their movement. If the Democratic leadership is unwilling to put pressure on Specter, than the grassroots progressives need to.

Nancy Pelosi is a Traitor to Progressives

Nancy Pelosi has said that she will likely not be able to pass a universal health bill this year. Her refusal to use this rare moment to move on one of the fundamental promises of the Democratic party is shocking. The Democrats control both houses of Congress by large margins and the White House. Barack Obama campaigned on a promise to provide universal health care. If they were able to find trillions to bailout the banks and a trillion on a questionable stimulus package it is unacceptable to claim there is no longer enough money or political will to pass health care reform.

46 million Americans don't have health insurance, and the number will likely grow by several million in the next year. The Democratic party won this election with the promise of health care and they were delivered the votes to make it happen. If the Democrats are unwilling to move NOW on health care reform, what is the point in ever electing a Democrat?