I have always wanted a public option.

[boston bean]

1) people can opt in to a Medicare like program
2) people who want can stay with employer provided insurance
3) lose your job you can opt in - creates mobility and sense of freedom
4) once people realize it ain’t so bad, National healthcare becomes more tenable politically

We do not need to up end the entire system at one time. All people one way or another will be able to receive coverage.

[groundloop]

1. Yes, that might work.

Bottom line is we MUST do something, where we're at now still isn't good enough.

[jimfields33]

2. First they'd need to get rid of open season

They should do away with open season for ACA now. That to me is dumb. If you lose your job today, you have to wait till October to get insurance? Crazy. Yes I know cobra but why have that expensive alternative?

[Recursion]

5. That's not how open season works. Losing your job is a qualifying event

If you lose your job you don't have to wait for the next open season to change insurance.

[jimfields33]

10. Your right. I forgot about that. Thank you!

[groundloop]

9. I believe there's a provision to enroll for "qualifying events"

I might be wrong, but most insurance lets you enroll if you have a 'qualifying event', and losing employer provided coverage is such an event. But still, there are problems with that, as I found out.

I was recently laid off and lost my health insurance. I was able to get onto my wife's policy, but couldn't get added until the first day of the month following the loss of my coverage. SO - I had to go nearly a month without being covered (and with COVID-19 going around is pretty scary).

[jimfields33]

12. Thank you. I did forget about the qualifying events.

[Ohiogal]

3. Wasn't a public option

Originally part of Obama’s ACA until the Rethugs kicked and screamed and held their breath over it, so it was done away with. And the Rethugs STILL voted against it.

[jimfields33]

6. Republicans were irrelevant. We had 60 votes

It was moderate democratic Senators that didn’t want it.

[boston bean]

14. Yep.

[Recursion]

7. Joe "Turncoat" Lieberman killed it

Worst thing he ever did in his career.

[MontanaFarmer]

11. Help from Ben Nelson and Montana's

own favorite former senator, max Baucus. It was terrible. The way I remember it, olympia snowe had a triggered public option amendment that her and Collins would support and those few dems didn't even allow that, so it was pulled.

[Recursion]

13. Baucus wanted it as a co-op instead of government run

I actually like that; it's what Germany does.

[MontanaFarmer]

18. I had forgotten that part, thanks for the info.

I've never spent much time considering that, how would it work on a large, national scale like we're talking about here? I'm very intrigued by the idea.

[Freddie]

16. Yup, Lieberman killed it singlehandedly

Former Senator from the great state of Aetna, er, Connecticut.
My daughter works for Aetna as an RN case manager. You’d think an insurance company would offer good insurance?! All crappy high-deductible with HSA plans.

[Just_Vote_Dem]

4. The ACA is a good start to a public option

It has saved my life. We need to expand on that. I remember having jobs I hated and staying because I needed the healthcare. I always thought it was strange that if I was under 65, I needed to have a job to get decent healthcare.

[Ohiogal]

15. In this country

Your life is worth nothing and you don’t deserve healthcare if you’re not working, for whatever reason.

[Just_Vote_Dem]

19. That's the feeling people get. We have to change that. n/t

[Recursion]

8. That's how most of Europe works

There's a basic public insurance plan which can be either supplemented or replaced by private insurance from your employer. It works really well.

[Happy Hoosier]

17. Me too.

And it's time.

Let's build a world-class public option that will be BETTER than private insurance.