Matt Miller's health plan proposition (or what is probably what the Blue Dog see as a responsible

[Mass]

offer.

Matt Miller is groaning about the Federal Health Plan, saying it is too expensive and cannot be offered to all. He may be right on this, I do not know, but here is what he is offering instead. Where do these people come from?

Now, it may be a newsflash for Matt Miller and all these people who spent too much time working in government, but $3, 750 deductible for a family earning $25,000 a year is UNAFFORDABLE.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/22/opinion/22miller.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

An alternative strategy for Congress would be the new “fitness club” model offered by some doctors, in which members pay $65 a month for same-day or next-day access to primary care services. This would involve no insurance companies, so it would save administrative expenses.

We could then pair one of these primary care plans with high-deductible insurance coverage for catastrophic care, but limit total annual out-of-pocket payments to, say, 15 percent of family income. For a member of Congress whose family had no other income, that limit would be $26,000. If this kind of plan were extended to other Americans, a family earning $25,000 a year would have a limit of $3,750

When was the last time Matt Miller lived on $25,000 a year? I know some people are desperate NOT to offer a public option, but still.

[bigdarryl]

1. UNBELIEVABLE!!! is this shit head a democrat

[Mass]

2. Not sure he is (though he works at the Center For American Progress), but this is a view that has

made progress among centrists:

In order to reduce healthcare costs, let's promote plans that cover LESS (not that cover better). Amazing, is it not? It is also the view reason some people push for the exchange: may be some people will take a plan that costs less and cover less. This way they will be less tempted to consume less medical care.