if healthcare is passed with a public option

[tabbycat31]

would you keep your private insurance (or buy private insurance) or go on the public plan? Assume the public plan opens Medicare to everyone.

[960]

1. I don't have insurance. Assuming I can get on the public plan, I will.

[condoleeza]

2. Still don't understand how all this will shake out so can't vote

Watched Obama talk to AMA today, still waiting to see how the drug companies will bastardize all of this to maintain their golden parachutes for doing nothing before I decide how I feel.

[MADem]

3. I am on public insurance, paid by the federal government.

It's not available to everyone, though. You've got to be retired from the military to get it.

[quiller4]

4. I don't expect the public option to look much like Medicare. Until

I can compare the public plan to the private insurance I buy now (early retirees buy their own individual insurance until they are old enough for Medicare), I can't say which I would choose. If the public option had a lower premium and no increase from our current $3,000 deductible, then I would not hesitate to switch but I wouldn't pay more just to be in a public plan.

[JuniperLea]

5. Other: I have insurance through my employer...

If my employer changes, I really don't have a choice. I would think there is an employer benefit plan, since there's all this talk about how health care is breaking companies, etc.

There better be!

I know of only one person who has paid for their own insurance, and I know a surprising number of uber wealthy people who have top tier coverage through the benefit plan they have covering their employees. When it comes to car insurance and other types of insurance, I know several billionaires who prefer to remain "self insured," but not one of them goes without health insurance. Interesting, isn't it?

[Thothmes]

6. Currently on a "public plan" i.e. Tricare

would not switch to another program.

[Statistical]

7. It all depends on the plan, prices, if my employer offers a rebate for dropping healtcare etc.

I marked other. I will at least consider it.

However if it costs more for less then I am not doing it "just to do it".

[femmocrat]

8. If I could purchase my current plan and retire early, I would do that.

The devil is always in the details, however.

[slipslidingaway]

9. Other, would have to compare plans and even then I would

probably wait (a couple years???) to see how well the public plan worked, which doctors will take the public plan etc.

[tnlefty]

10. Didn't vote and I'm unsure. I would bolt from BCBS of TN

without the hassles of pre-approved everything that are charged back 2 yrs. down the road. If I could really get away from a for profit system that damn near bankrupted my family when I was seriously ill years ago....I'd jump for it in a heartbeat.

I noticed today that the new buzzword, if you will, is preventative healthcare. My sons and I aren't covered for annual physicals, as my spouse is the insured, so if the preventative care being yacked about is just more of this, and wouldn't change under whatever 'public option' is being discussed, then I don't know what I would do. Damned if you do, damned if you don't type of situation.

I'm all over single payer. I'll gladly pay what we do now if the above items are included, and then I'd pay more just to know that bankruptcy because of illness is out of the picture.

[Cleita]

11. Something no one has answered. Will the public plan be offered to

employers and unions for their group plan? Will senior citizens be able to buy into a public plan to cover their Medigap insurance?

[slipslidingaway]

12. Good questions - will employers have to contribute to a public

plan?

[Cleita]

13. It seems if they are buying it, that should be their contribution.

Also, I read about a 5% payroll tax increase being tossed around.

[slipslidingaway]

15. I'm probably confusing two sides of the employer contribution...

if employers do not provide HC and people pick the public option, then employers would not contribute to the system.

Under the draft Kennedy proposal I believe that employers would have to provide HC.

Many moving pieces, I'd just rather have a simple, non-fragmented system.

:)

[madrchsod]

14. employers and unions will drop insurance plans and go to a public plan

they will offer supplemental and other boutique plans. that`s what the insurance companies are afraid of.